Dara
When travelers visit the south-eastern Anatolian province of Mardin, they usually feel that they need to see just one place - the capital of the province. Meanwhile, in the area there are relatively little known but very interesting ruins of the ancient city of Dara. In the early Byzantine times, Dara was an important fortress, located in northern Mesopotamia, near the border with the Persian Sassanid Empire. Because of this strategic location, in the 6th century AD Dara witnessed many military conflicts, of which the most important was the famous Battle of Dara, fought in 530 AD. So if you get to Mardin, then try also to go to Dara, and certainly you will not regret this trip.
During the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius (491-518 AD), after more than 60 years of peace, a serious conflict with Persia broke out. It lasted from 502 to 506 AD and was known as the Anastasian War. It became the prelude to a long series of armed skirmishes, devastating both empires throughout the next century. The Anastasian War demonstrated the weakness of the Byzantine armed forces and the generals responsible for the failure explained their defeat to the lack of a solid military base belonging to the Byzantine Empire in the region. Meanwhile, the Persians possessed a mighty fortress near the town of Nisibis (now Nusaybin).
For this reason the Emperor Anastasius, taking advantage of a momentary respite in the war, due to the involvement of Persian troops in the east, ordered the construction of a fortress in the village of Dara. It was located 18 km west of Nisibis and just 5 km from the border with Persia. The fortress was to serve as a military base and guard the frontier territories. Its construction involved the masons from all over Mesopotamia, and the work progressed very quickly. The new city was founded on three hills, with the citadel on the highest hill. Also, huge warehouses, water cisterns, and public baths were built. A new settlement was named Anastasiopolis, in honor of the emperor and it was established as the capital of the province of Mesopotamia.
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