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Visiting Midyat, Turkey

Midyat is a quaint Turkish town set on a hill.  Just a short ride from Mardin, Midyat has managed to keep its old charm completely.  Take a long, meandering walk through the winding roads and soak up the architecture; the town is home to many traditional Turkish mansions (stone houses the color of honey).  Peak into the doorways if you can, hiding behind the gates are some magnificent patios.  If you’re lucky you’ll stumble upon a TV set; one of Turkey’s most popular soap operas is shot in the town.

            Sitting at the highest point in town is the Midyat Konuk Evi, a beautifully restored mansion that now serves as a surprisingly affordable guesthouse run by the municipality.  The 6 rooms are peaceful and quiet with high-vaulted ceilings, dark wooden beds, and Ottoman rugs.  If that wasn’t enough of a sell, sweeping city views are afforded from all the home’s private balconies.  The Midyat Konuk Evi is the perfect place to call home for your visit in Midyat and day trips to Hasankeyf and the Mor Gabriel Monastery.  (It can be difficult to find, but the local “tour guides,” a hodge-podge group of young boys, will walk you up the hill for 1 TL.)  The views of the sunset in Midyat are finest from the Evi, watch the sun turn the city into gold.   Due to the extreme heat in summer, many families have beds on their patios.  You may be lucky enough to watch the women set up the family beds as the city goes dark.

          Not all the Konuk Evi house keepers speak English, so making reservations on your own can be difficult.  Tripology can take care of your accommodation reservations as well as cheap flights to Turkey and car rentals once you’re there.  Fill out a free travel request form now to get started planning your tour of Eastern Turkey.

            15 minutes outside of town, the Mor Gabriel Monastery is tucked into the hills surrounded by vineyards.  On a site dating back to 387, the Monastery is still home to a handful of monks and nuns as well as the local Assyrian Patriarch.  There are English-speaking monks who act as tour guides for the facility. 

            Though the numbers are small (and dwindling), Midyat proper’s Assyrian community is an active one.  They rotate their services through the churches weekly, so visiting all of the old structures can be difficult, but Mor Barsaumo is usually open.

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