Mardin & Mor Gabriel – Tur Abdin in 2 days

Tur Abdin, the "mountain of the servants of God", is one of the oldest Christian landscapes in the world. In its monasteries people still pray in a form of Aramaic. We fly in the morning from Istanbul to Mardin, walk through the old town with its stone houses, madrasas and mosques, and visit Deyrulzafaran Monastery and the ancient city of Dara. On day two we drive to Midyat and Mor Gabriel Monastery before you fly back in the evening.

Highlights

• Domestic flight Istanbul – Mardin and back, departing from IST or SAW
• Old town of Mardin overlooking the Mesopotamian plain
• Kasımiye Madrasa and Ulu Cami (Great Mosque)
• Deyrulzafaran Monastery (Mor Hananyo), once seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch
• Ancient city of Dara with cisterns and rock-cut necropolis
• Midyat and Mor Gabriel Monastery (founded 397); one night in a 4-star hotel, guide on both days

Full description

Mardin clings to the hillside like an amphitheatre; from its terraces you look far out over the plain of Mesopotamia. We walk through the lanes to the Ulu Cami with its ribbed dome and to the Kasımiye Madrasa with its courtyard and pool. A few kilometres outside lies Deyrulzafaran Monastery, also called Mor Hananyo, for centuries the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch. In the afternoon we drive to Dara, an East Roman frontier fortress against the Persian Empire, with huge underground cisterns and a necropolis cut into the rock.

On day two we reach Midyat, whose old town is known for its splendid stone houses and the fine silverwork of telkari filigree. Then we visit Mor Gabriel, founded in 397 and thus one of the oldest still inhabited monasteries in the world. Monks and nuns still celebrate the liturgy here in Syriac Aramaic. In the afternoon we drive to Mardin airport, from where you fly back to Istanbul.

For you this means: you book everything in one step – flights, hotel, transfers and guiding – at one fixed total price.

What we see

We adapt order and selection to weekday, opening hours, weather and your wishes.

• 1 · Day 1 · Flight Istanbul – Mardin
  Morning pick-up at your hotel, transfer to IST or SAW airport, flight to Mardin (MQM), drive to the old town.
• 2 · Day 1 · Old town of Mardin
  Lanes and stone houses, Ulu Cami, Kasımiye Madrasa, view over the Mesopotamian plain.
• 3 · Day 1 · Deyrulzafaran Monastery
  Mor Hananyo, once seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch.
• 4 · Day 1 · Dara
  East Roman frontier city with cisterns and rock necropolis; evening at the 4-star hotel in Mardin.
• 5 · Day 2 · Midyat
  Old town with stone houses and silver filigree (telkari).
• 6 · Day 2 · Mor Gabriel Monastery
  Founded 397, one of the oldest still inhabited monasteries in the world.
• 7 · Day 2 · Flight back to Istanbul
  Drive to Mardin airport (MQM), evening flight, in Istanbul transfer back to your hotel.

Included

• Private, state-licensed tour guide in your language (Mehmet Humayunoğlu or an experienced colleague from his team)
• Day 2 as a separate tour: guide and vehicle with driver for Midyat and Mor Gabriel
• Domestic flight Istanbul (IST or SAW) – Mardin (MQM) and back
• 1 night in a 4-star hotel in Mardin
• Transfer hotel Istanbul – airport and back
• Vehicle with driver from and to Mardin airport (MQM) for day 1
• Planning, coordination and time management of both days

Not included

• Entrance fees (incl. Deyrulzafaran, Dara, Kasımiye Madrasa)
• Lunch and dinner, drinks
• Personal expenses, tips

Meeting point

We pick you up at your hotel in Istanbul on the morning of day 1 and bring you back there on the evening of day 2. Departure airport is either Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW); destination airport is Mardin (MQM).

You will recognise me by the sign “MeinReiseleiter.de” and the visibly worn guide licence. We confirm meeting point and time with your booking.

Important information

German, English, Turkish, French, Italian, Spanish – 25 more languages on request.

• Names as in your passport – We issue the flight tickets in the names you enter in the booking form. Please write them exactly as in your ID or passport.
• Bring your ID – All travellers need their passport or national ID card for the domestic flight.
• Flight times – We confirm the exact flight times and your hotel pick-up time with the booking.
• Rooms – Two adults share a double room; with an odd number or on request there are single rooms. Children sleep in their parents' room at no extra charge.
• Monasteries – Deyrulzafaran and Mor Gabriel are living monasteries with limited visiting hours; we plan the day accordingly and ask you to respect services and quiet times.
• Appropriate clothing – Shoulders and knees covered in monasteries and mosques; women need a headscarf in mosques.
• Old town on foot – Mardin lies on a hillside – many steps and slopes, comfortable shoes are useful.