Mardin Houses

Mardin is one of the interesting settlements in Southeastern Anatolia that exhibits a unique architectural style. The city is situated on the southern slopes of the Mazı Mountains (Masius), covering an area 2,500 meters long and 500 meters wide from east to west. Viewed from the castle and from across the valley, the houses of Mardin appear to be piled on top of each other. This dense and overlapping structure, resulting from the natural topography, gives the city a distinctive appearance. The white houses, descending in terraces from the foot of the castle towards the plain, create an interesting contrast with the wooded landscape. This architectural style, which continues to this day, is entirely different from the urban structure of Şanlıurfa, which is closely tied to Northern Syrian architecture, and Diyarbakır, which is mixed with northern influences; it exhibits the character of a closed area.