Mardin is an ancient city whose citadel sits on a hill 500m above the plain of Mesopotamia. The old town nestles spectacularly with narrow winding streets, against the old castle hill.

The city was ruled successively by the Arameans, Hurrians, Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Amorites, Persians, Parthians, Romans, Arabs, Seljuks and Ottomans.
Today it lies only a few kilometres from the border with Syria and not far from Iraq in the southeast of Turkey.

In 1915/16 most of the Arab, Aramaic and Armenian Christians of the city were killed in the genocide of the Turks against the Armenians and the Aramaeans.

In the hotel I met a young couple from Greece, who were also on tour by motorbike. We went on a motorcycle trip together and spent two nice evenings together.