Midyat Old Town

About this place

Old Midyat is a town of honey-coloured limestone on the Tur Abdin plateau in south-eastern Turkey, known for grand houses with carved facades, Syriac churches and silver workshops. It is called the city of languages and religions for its mixed population, its old core can be walked in about two hours, and most visitors pair it with Mardin. Assyrian tablets from the 9th century BC mention a place called Matiate, passed by King Ashurnasirpal II in 879 BC, which sources link with Midyat. The town has long been considered the capital of Tur Abdin, the heartland of Syriac Christianity. Interest in it has grown in recent decades after TV series and films were shot here, bringing tourism and a revival of its silverwork. The highlight is the carved stone of the houses, a craft known locally as nahid, with their roofs and arches. The Guesthouse, or Konuk Evi, is the best-known mansion, set at the top of the old town, with church towers including Mor Şarbel visible from its roof. Filigree, or telkari, workshops fill the old bazaar, and a museum of the craft opened near the square in 2023. Mor Barsawmo remains among the main churches. Ask before photographing worshippers, and keep shoulders and knees covered in churches. Midyat is 67 km by road from Mardin and 18 km from Mor Gabriel Monastery in a straight line, so the two fit easily into one day. Minibuses leave from Mardin. Summers are fiercely hot, so spring and autumn are best.