Voices of Mesopotamia

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Mardin Mardin is a jewel of a city, unforgettable for its yellow sandstone houses and buildings. The city is nested on the shoulder of a large monolith of rock, with a fantastic () castle from the () century. The city has a unique feeling, being made up of an almost equal number of kurds and arabs, you really feel yourself at the meeting point of cultures. The city is not only famous for it’s beautiful architecture, but also for the produce on sale here. The streets are lined with shops, selling silver and gold jewelery, locally grown nuts, and the famous Mardin olive oil soap. Read More About Mardin

Ergani Place names first mentioned as Arkni/Argni in Armenian archives. Trade has flourished between Ergani and Mesopotamia during the third millennium BC. Ergani mines used to ship copper to the early settlements at Uruk of southern Iraq. The Euphrates river connected Ergani and Uruk. Vessels of the day could easily float several tons of copper downstream to Uruk in a few weeks, the transport of hundred of tons of grain back to Anatolia was challenging. Read More About Ergani

Urfa Because Urfa is set right at the crossroads of routes to Europe, Asia and Africa, just about everyone important has marched through and left their mark, including the Babylonians, Egyptians, Alexander the Great, Greeks, Romans and Seljuk Turks under Saladin. The Crusaders, no doubt attracted by the town's easily-defended promontory called the Throne of Nimrod, called it Edessa and made it the capital of the Latin County of Edessa, ruled by Count Baldwin of Boulogne. Read More About Urfa

Nemrut Mount Nemrut, the monumental resting place of King Antiochus I Theos from the Kingdom of Commagene, is one of the most fascinating ancient places in Turkey. Although the country abounds in magnificent relics of antiquity, Mount Nemrut certainly deserves the place on the top ten list of the archaeological hits of Asia Minor. Moreover, the hierothesion of Antiochus is a sensational sight on a global scale. At the same time, it is an archaeological site that still holds many secrets. Until now, it has not been possible to determine with certainty what the artificial embankment on the peak of the mountain conceals. What's more, astronomy enthusiasts can try to solve the mystery of the famous "lion horoscope" placed on one of the bas-reliefs decorating the mountain. Finally, the huge sculptures on Mount Nemrut are a perfect illustration of religious syncretism and Antiochus' attempt to introduce a new state cult that combined Greek, Persian and Armenian influences. Read More About Nemrut

Dara Dara or Daras (Greek: Δάρας) was an important East Roman fortress city in northern Mesopotamia on the border with the Sassanid Empire. Because of its great strategic importance, it featured prominently in the Roman-Persian conflicts of the 6th century, with the famous Battle of Dara taking place before its walls in 530. The former (arch)bishopric remains a multiple Catholic titular see. Today the Turkish village of Oğuz, Mardin Province, occupies its location. Read More About Dara

Yeni Kale Castle Yeni Kale, meaning New Castle, is one of the several additional attractions that await the visitors who arrive at this region of Turkey to see famous Mount Nemrut. Of course, in a land of such rich and long history as Anatolia, the term "new" does not necessarily mean that the building was built a few years ago. Actually, the fortress is referred to as "new", because it was erected in the 13th century, which distinguishes it from the Old Fortress (Eski Kale) - the ruins of ancient Arsameia dating back to the 3rd century BCE. Read More About Yeni Kale Castle

Diyarbakır Diyarbakır is a city populated by a people as strong and resilient as the large basalt walls that surround the old city Dag Kapi. Built to protect this ancient trading hub, which served as an important stop on the silk road, the walls are a magnificent wonder in themselves, which make this city (which is claimed to be one of the oldest cities in the world) a fantastic destination for the curious. Read More About Diyarbakır

Arsameia Arsameia, located at the foot of the Mount Nemrut, is one of those magical places in Turkey that hide in the shadow of a famous tourist attraction located nearby. While the peak of Mount Nemrut regularly fills with an international crowd, especially at sunrise and sunset times, the ruins of ancient Arsameia silently wait for someone to drop by. Undoubtedly, this is for the benefit of those lucky people who decide to visit Arsameia, because they will be able to calmly and peacefully contemplate its wonderful reliefs, explore the tunnels and admire the picturesque views from the Acropolis of this summer capital of the Commagene Kingdom. Read More About Arsameia

Harran Harran, situated 44 km southeast of Şanlıurfa near the Syrian border, was an important Mesopotamian trade center as early as 2300 BCE on a road running south to Nineveh in modern Iraq. Read More About Harran

Hasankeyf The waters of the Tigris River gave rise to the first settlements of the Fertile Crescent in Anatolia and Mesopotamia—the cradle of civilization. The ancient city of Hasankeyf, built on and around the banks of the river in southeastern Turkey, may be one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world, spanning some 10,000 years. Hasankeyf and its surrounding limestone cliffs are home to thousands of human-made caves, 300 medieval monuments and a unique canyon ecosystem—all combining to create a beguiling open-air museum. Read More About Hasankeyf

Göbeklitepe Built 6,000 Years Before Stonehenge, Gobekli Tepe Is The Oldest Temple In The World. Gobekli Tepe is a massive, ancient temple built out of pillars organized into great stone rings. The pillars are decorated with intricate sculptures of lions, scorpions, and vultures, twisting around their sides, but they’re more than just beautiful works of art. They’re the foundations to a structure, holding up heaving blocks that, some of which weight more than 10 tons. Read More About Göbeklitepe

Perrin In antiquity, Perrhe was one of the four core cities of the kingdom of Commagene mentioned in inscriptions, along with Samosata, Marash and Doliche. It lay on the route from the capital of Samosata over the Taurus mountains to Melitene. On account of a profuse spring, which was already famous in ancient times and which now issues from a Roman fountain in the middle of the town, Perrhe was an important staging post for travellers over the mountains. On the late antique Roman route map, the Tabula Peutingeriana, the town appears as the second stop on the route from Samosata, after Comana. Under Antiochus IV (r. AD 38-72) Perrhe was refounded as the polis of Antiochia on the Taurus.[1] A votive relief of Jupiter Dolichenus which was found in the city's necropolis in 2001 derives from this period. In AD 198/200, the city probably contributed financially to the construction of the Severan Bridge. A floor mosaic found in the city indicates the importance of the place during Christian times. Under the Byzantine Empire, Perrhe was a bishopric. In the Middle Ages, the city lost significance in the face of the town of Hisn-Mansur (modern Adıyaman).Arsameia Read More About Perrin

Çayönü Near the village of Sesverenpınar, among the Hilar rocks Çayönü hill was first settled in c. 7500 BC, and was continuously inhabited until 5000 BC - making it the first discivered site of human collective settlement. The soft limestone of the area provided the perfect location for shelter among rich agricultural lands, and encouraged the early neolithic man and woman to gather for the first time, forming communities and the first societies in history. Read More About Çayönü

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