Mardin City Guide

In terms of population density Mardin, which is located on Tigris part of southeastern region of Anatolia, is 26th most populous city in Turkey. Having a border with Syria and being a border town just as Kars, Mardin is also bounded by Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Batman, Siirt and Şırnak provinces. Not only the four water supplies- the Çağçağ Creek, the Buğur River, the Zerzen Creek and the Savur River, but also the forested and posture areas make a strong impression on visitors. Besides 126 thousand 908 hectares forested areas, 115 thousand 447 hectares field consists of meadows and grasslands. Although steppe is dominant in the area, oak forests are also seen on the mountain slopes.

There are 10 districts in Mardin. These are: Central, Dargeçit, Derik, Kızıltepe, Mazıdağı, Midyat, Nusaybin, Ömerli, Savur and Yeşilli. There are also 702 neighborhoods and 588 villages in the city.

Mardin has a rich food culture. Kibbeh, irok, ikbebet (these three dishes are stuffed meatballs similar to each other but different in taste ), Soğan kebabı (Onion kebab is a Turkish kebab dish made with ground lamb meatball baked inside sliced onions, peppers and pomegranate sauce),kaburga dolması (stuffed lamb ribs),dobo (lamb meat with garlic and spices),fikriye (a meat dish with sauce), kiliçe (a type of pastry),sembusek (a type of lahmajun-pizza with minced meat and spice),alluciye (sour lamb stew with greengage),acin (a dish with meat, egg and bulgur wheat),harire tatlısı (a dessert with cinnamon and molasses) and mırra (a type of Arabic coffee) are amongst the prominent delicacies in Mardin.