***Editie online: Anul nr. III

februarie 8, 2025

TURKEY- Journalist Tülay Çetinkaya Saraçoğlu, MARDIN: The city where civilizations meet

Source:https://haber.dk/mardin-medeniyetlerin-bulustugu-bir-sehir/31357

Masters of the art of stone processing from centuries ago built this city on the south-facing part of a high hill.

Mardin is an ancient city overlooking Mesopotamia. Mardin is among the most striking cities of Turkey with its unique architectural structure, stone houses and rich cuisine.

Recent archaeological research shows that its historical past is older than known written history.

The findings collected in sacks by Mesut Alp, an archaeologist from Nusaybin who also works at the Mardin Museum, in the region dating back to the „Late Upper Paleolithic” period in 2009-2010, date back to 11 thousand years ago.

In fact, the beginning of culture in parallel with humanity can be traced back to 30,000 – 40,000 BC, with the so-called core tools and campsite traces of the tool industry found in the region by the same archaeologist and his teammates.

In recent years, there has been a discovery in the narrow passage that has changed and expanded our perception and knowledge of contemporary archeology of Göbeklitepe, discovered in 2007 and opened by Dr. Boncuklu field, where excavations were started under the direction of Ergün Kodaş and where human skeletal remains were found, also came to the fore.

Mardin, which is an extremely rich city both in terms of history and culture, has nine districts and is adjacent to the provinces of Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Batman and Şırnak.

These are the first signs left by people who lived thousands of years ago in the area called Boncuklu field/Boncuklu hill, due to the large number of beads found during the survey conducted in 2007. With the excavations that started in 2012, it was determined that there was a settlement here approximately 10 thousand years ago.

Although this is a place more than 300 km away from Göbeklitepe, which I mentioned in my previous article, archaeologists detected similar findings. In the first studies, it was estimated that this area dates back to the neolithic period, that is, BC. By the year 8000. The lifestyle and level of development of these intriguing people, just like their contemporaries who founded Göbeklitepe, are still a mystery.

This area has hosted 25 civilizations in the known history of humanity and is one of the oldest settlements of humanity found to date. Archaeologist Ergül Kodaş, who is in charge of the excavation, thinks that it dates back to 12 thousand years ago, according to the findings obtained in the settlement area. This means that it may be a more ancient structure, about a thousand years older than its contemporary Göbeklitepe. The fact that there are similar structures to Göbeklitepe makes us think about how these two ancient structures may be related to each other.

During the excavations, 69 graves, including temples/private buildings and many houses, were buried with 20 thousand beads in the floors of the houses. This means that when 118 human skeletons were found, DNA samples were taken and sent abroad for research, and according to my own research, no return was made or information was shared.

Those in the grave were buried with their knees in the baby position in the womb, that is, with their knees pulled towards their stomach. Archaeologists interpret that the people living here also developed faith and that rebirth may be a belief.

They made a lot of jewelry from animal teeth, horns, colored stones and seashells, some of which were also found in graveyards. The shape of some of the stones, which are still triangular in the amulets that are still used today, makes us think about whether they used these jewelry as a totem for protection, as they do today, and pushes the history of using amulets back to those times.

Moreover, considering the distance of Mardin province from the sea, seashells make this field of study even more interesting.

Mardin’in Dargeçit ilçesinin Ilısu Mahallesi’ndeki Boncuklu Tarla’nın, 7 yıl önce başlatılan, üçüncü sezon çalışmaların tamamlandığı kazılar ile insanlık tarihinin en zengin Neolitik Çağ buluntularını barındırdığı belirlendi. Neolitik dönemde yaşayan toplulukların geleneklerini betimleyen serpantin, kireçtaşı, klorit, kumtaşı, kemik, obsidyen, fosfat, bakır, malakit ve değişik çay taşları kullanılarak yapılan boğa, geyik, leopar, yılan, akrep ve yaban keçisi gibi çeşitli şekillerde yaklaşık 20 bin boncuk ile kemer ve tokaları, kemik kakmalı süs eşyası, düğme, küpe ve değişik süs eşyaları bulundu. ( Mardin Müzesi – Anadolu Ajansı )

The stone slabs in the form of columns in the 11,300-year-old temple of 80 square meters in size in the area show similar but different type features with Göbeklitepe.

The 4 columns here are 9×7.5 meters tall and 2 meters deep. One of the sets erected in the area was found broken and the other 3 were found intact. Its difference from the columns in Göbeklitepe is that it is not T-shaped and it is a unique column with no shapes on it.

Obsidian stone, flint stone, serantine, limestone, chlorite, bone, phosphate and other tea stones, arrowheads, cutting and piercing drills are examples of these chipped stone tools. As the studies carried out in this area continue, Boncuklu Tepe will continue to tell us about the unknown history of humanity.

Like the richness of its historical past, Mardin has hosted different religions, ethnic groups and sects, and these different cultures have managed to live together and in solidarity for hundreds, thousands of years, by blending love and tolerance in a melting pot and preserving their differences.

Turk, Kurd, Assyrian, Yazidi, Jew, Arab, Muslim etc. communities from different religions and ethnic backgrounds such as; They lived together in “peace and brotherhood” with “natural social tolerance” and compromise.

Due to these features, Mardin is a peaceful synthesis of different cultural structures. One of these cultures is the Assyrians, whose patriarchal center of the Orthodox is in the Deyrulzafaran monastery in Mardin.

Deyrulzafaran Monastery, which was built in the 5th century and reached its current form in the 18th century, is located 5 km away from Mardin. This magnificent structure, which amazes with its domes, hand-embroidery, arched columns, in short, its architecture; It is considered one of the important centers of the Assyrian Church. Deyrulzafaran Monastery is considered among the oldest and most valuable structures in Mardin.

It is a mysterious structure from temple to monastery, which is estimated to have been built in approximately 2000 BC and where two beliefs, the old and the new, are located underneath the monastery. This pagan period belief is still standing and open to visitors as a very fine engineering marvel built with the knowledge of physics, mathematics and engineering, built without the use of mortar among the stones lined up, including on the ceiling, in the construction of the Sun Temple.

I found it very interesting that the altar of the monastery, like the temple of the Sun, faces east to where the sun rises, as described by Raban Gabriel Kurt of the Darulzaferen monastery, although it is the same in both beliefs for different reasons.

Mardin is known for its authentic cuisine as well as its historical texture. Syriac wines are a well-known and sought-after delicacy. By the way, church ceilings decorated with vine motifs representing eternity, the vine fruit used in Assyrian winemaking, grapes, are like intertwined beliefs and symbols.

In this special wine, the quality grapes of the region are used. The Assyrians, who fit thousands of years of wine culture into a bottle, use mazone grapes for white wine, while some use Boğazkere and Öküzgözü grapes for their wines, and the wines are produced in stone-made production facilities under modern conditions, with an alcohol content of 12-15 percent when stored properly. Otherwise it can last for 10 years.

The madrasa, which has survived to this day with its perfect structure, was completed in 1457-1502. The processed Mardin stone that greets us at the entrance after the magnificent gate entrance, and the symbol of the dazzling madrasah building with its walls, tells many things to those who know how to see. The tulip on the wall right across from this entrance is the symbol of Allah, 99 rose motifs symbolize the 99 names of Allah, and 63 tulip motifs symbolize the Prophet Muhammad. As it is stated that Muhammad died at the age of 63.

The collection of the water flowing from the fountain in the garden of the building in a pool means birth, the first pool into which it pours is infancy and childhood, the second larger pool flowing slowly from the wide gutter is middle age, the third pool in the form of a grave is aging, the third pool in the form of a tomb is death. It is believed to symbolize the afterlife.

According to some, the reflection of the falling stars into the pool at night in these pools was used for astrology education in the madrasah. Some pieces, including a nautical compass, are also exhibited in the madrasa.

I have not seen any written statement about who owns the two tombs in this 700-century-old madrasah. According to rumors, it is believed that the red color on the walls is the blood of Kasim Pasha, who was murdered here.

Mardin, which is important in terms of Turkey’s culture, history and faith tourism, is waiting for you to discover. As suggestions for places to visit, there are Mardin streets, Mardin castle, Mardin museum, Dara ancient city, Aznavur castle, Mor Yakup church and many more places to see in the city…

The information was taken from the publication: https://haber.dk/mardin-medeniyetlerin-bulustugu-bir-sehir/31357

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