Mardin Province ( tr, Mardin ili; ku, Parêzgeha Mêrdînê; ar, محافظة ماردين) is a province of
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
with a population of 809,719 in 2017, slightly down from the population of 835,173 in 2000.
Kurds ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ir ...
form the majority of the population, followed closely by
Arabs
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
who represent 40% of the province's population.
[Ayse Guc Isik, 201]
The Intercultural Engagement in Mardin
Australian Catholic University. pp. 46–48.
Demographics
Mardin Province is considered part of
Turkish Kurdistan
Turkish Kurdistan or Northern Kurdistan () refers to the southeastern part of Turkey, where Kurds form the predominant ethnic group. The Kurdish Institute of Paris estimates that there are 20 million Kurds living in Turkey, the majority of the ...
and is populated by
Kurds ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ir ...
and
Arabs
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
who adhere to
Shafi'i
The Shafii ( ar, شَافِعِي, translit=Shāfiʿī, also spelled Shafei) school, also known as Madhhab al-Shāfiʿī, is one of the four major traditional schools of religious law (madhhab) in the Sunnī branch of Islam. It was founded by ...
Islam. There is also a small
Assyrian
Assyrian may refer to:
* Assyrian people, the indigenous ethnic group of Mesopotamia.
* Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire.
** Early Assyrian Period
** Old Assyrian Period
** Middle Assyrian Empire
** Neo-Assyrian Empire
* Assyrian ...
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
population left.
A recent study from 2013 has shown that 40% of Mardin Province's population identify as Arabs, and this proportion increases to 49% in the cities of
Mardin
Mardin ( ku, Mêrdîn; ar, ماردين; syr, ܡܪܕܝܢ, Merdīn; hy, Մարդին) is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for the Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on ...
and
Midyat
Midyat ( ku, Midyad, Syriac: ܡܕܝܕ ''Mëḏyaḏ'', Turoyo: ''Miḏyoyo'', ar, مديات) is a town in the Mardin Province of Turkey. The ancient city is the center of a centuries-old Hurrian town in Upper Mesopotamia. In its long history, the ...
, where Arabs form the plurality.
A 1996 study estimated that the population of Mardin Province as a whole was about 75% Kurdish in 1990.
Social relations
Social relations between Arabs and Kurds have historically been difficult with hostility, prejudice and stereotypes but have in recent years improved.
Arabs with Assyrians did not take part in the
Kurdish–Turkish conflict
Kurdish nationalism, Kurdish nationalist uprisings have periodically occurred in Turkey, beginning with the Turkish War of Independence and the consequent transition from the Ottoman Empire to the modern Turkish state and continuing to the prese ...
and the position of the two groups have been described as being 'submissive' to the Turkish state, creating distrust between them and the Kurds. Kurds perceived Arabs as spies for the state and local Arabs in Mardin city tended to exclude and dominate local politics in the city. Arabs started losing their grip on Mardin city in the 2010s and the Kurdish
BDP won the city in the
local elections
In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct vary ...
in 2014. Mardin city had previously been governed by pro-state parties supported by local Arabs.
Despite the difficult relations, Arab families have since the 1980s joined the
Kurdish cause,
and Arab and Assyrian politicians from Mardin are found in
Peoples' Democratic Party including
Mithat Sancar
Mithat Sancar (born 1963) is a Turkish professor of public and constitutional law, columnist, and translator of Arab descent. He has been an MP for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in the Turkish parliament since the June 2015 general electi ...
and
Februniye Akyol
Februniye Akyol ( Christian name: Fabronia Benno) is an Syriac-Assyrian politician and was co-mayor of Mardin. She is a part of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and thus the first Christian woman to lead one of Turkey's 30 metropolitan municipalitie ...
.
Language
In the first Turkish census in 1927,
Kurdish
Kurdish may refer to:
*Kurds or Kurdish people
*Kurdish languages
*Kurdish alphabets
*Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes:
**Southern Kurdistan
**Eastern Kurdistan
**Northern Kurdistan
**Western Kurdistan
See also
* Kurd (dis ...
and
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
were the
first language
A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...
for and of the population, respectively.
Turkish stood as the third largest language at . In the 1935 census, Kurdish and Arabic remained the two most spoken languages for and of the population, respectively. Turkish remained as the third largest language at . In the 1945 census, Kurdish stood at , Arabic at and Turkish at . In 1950, the numbers were , and for Kurdish, Arabic and Turkish, respectively. The same numbers were , and in 1955, and , and in 1960. In the last Turkish census in 1965, Kurdish remained the largest language spoken by of the population, while Arabic remained the second largest language at and Turkish stood at .
Religion
In the Ottoman yearbook of 1894–1895,
Mardin Sanjak had a population of 34,361 and adhered to Islam. The largest religious minority was
Syriac Orthodox
, native_name_lang = syc
, image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg
, imagewidth = 250
, alt = Cathedral of Saint George
, caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascu ...
Assyrians who comprised of the population, followed by Catholic
Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
at , Catholic Assyrians at ,
Protestants
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
at and
Chaldeans at . Muslims comprised of the population in 1927, while Christians of various denominations stood at and Jews at . In 1935, Muslims comprised of the population, while Christians remained the second largest minority at . The Jewish population declined to 72 individuals from 490 in 1927. In 1945, of the population was Muslim, while Christians were of the population. The same numbers were and in 1955. In 1960, Muslims constituted and Christians remained at . Same numbers were and in 1965.
It was estimated that 25,000 Assyrian members of the
Syriac Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = syc
, image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg
, imagewidth = 250
, alt = Cathedral of Saint George
, caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
still lived in the province in 1979. Only 4,000 Assyrians remained in the province in 2020, most having migrated to Europe or
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
since the 1980s.
Economy
In Mardin agriculture is an important branch accounting for 70% of the provinces income.
Bulgur
Bulgur (from tr, bulgur, itself from fa, بلغور, bolġur (bolghur)/balġur (balghur), groats ), also riffoth (from biblical he, ריפות, riffoth) and burghul (from ar, برغل, burġul ), is a cracked wheat dish found ...
,
lentils
The lentil (''Lens culinaris'' or ''Lens esculenta'') is an edible legume. It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. As a food crop, the largest produ ...
or
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
and other grains are produced.
In the capital, there are many civil servants, mostly Turks.
Close markets for foreign trade are Syria and Iraq.
History
Mardin comes from the
Syriac Syriac may refer to:
*Syriac language, an ancient dialect of Middle Aramaic
*Sureth, one of the modern dialects of Syriac spoken in the Nineveh Plains region
* Syriac alphabet
** Syriac (Unicode block)
** Syriac Supplement
* Neo-Aramaic languages a ...
word (ܡܪܕܐ) and means "fortresses".
The first known civilization were the
Subarian-Hurrians who were then succeeded in 3000 BCE by the
Hurrians
The Hurrians (; cuneiform: ; transliteration: ''Ḫu-ur-ri''; also called Hari, Khurrites, Hourri, Churri, Hurri or Hurriter) were a people of the Bronze Age Near East. They spoke a Hurrian language and lived in Anatolia, Syria and Northern Mes ...
. The
Elam
Elam (; Linear Elamite: ''hatamti''; Cuneiform Elamite: ; Sumerian: ; Akkadian: ; he, עֵילָם ''ʿēlām''; peo, 𐎢𐎺𐎩 ''hūja'') was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of modern-day Iran, stretc ...
ites gained control around 2230 BCE and were followed by the
Babylonia
Babylonia (; Akkadian: , ''māt Akkadī'') was an ancient Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Syria). It emerged as an Amorite-ruled state c. ...
ns,
Hittites
The Hittites () were an Anatolian people who played an important role in establishing first a kingdom in Kussara (before 1750 BC), then the Kanesh or Nesha kingdom (c. 1750–1650 BC), and next an empire centered on Hattusa in north-centra ...
,
Assyrians,
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
and
Byzantines.
The local
Assyrians/Syriacs, while reduced due to the
Assyrian genocide
The Sayfo or the Seyfo (; see below), also known as the Assyrian genocide, was the mass slaughter and deportation of Assyrian / Syriac Christians in southeastern Anatolia and Persia's Azerbaijan province by Ottoman forces and some Kurdish t ...
and
conflicts between the Kurds and Turks, hold on to two of the oldest monasteries in the world,
Dayro d-Mor Hananyo (Turkish ''Deyrülzafaran'', English ''Saffron Monastery'') and
Deyrulumur Monastery. The Christian community is concentrated on the
Tur Abdin
Tur Abdin ( syr, ܛܽܘܪ ܥܰܒ݂ܕܺܝܢ or ܛܘܼܪ ܥܲܒ݂ܕܝܼܢ, Ṭūr ʿAḇdīn) is a hilly region situated in southeast Turkey, including the eastern half of the Mardin Province, and Şırnak Province west of the Tigris, on the borde ...
plateau and in the town of
Midyat
Midyat ( ku, Midyad, Syriac: ܡܕܝܕ ''Mëḏyaḏ'', Turoyo: ''Miḏyoyo'', ar, مديات) is a town in the Mardin Province of Turkey. The ancient city is the center of a centuries-old Hurrian town in Upper Mesopotamia. In its long history, the ...
, with a smaller community (approximately 200) in the provincial capital. After the foundation of Turkey, the province has been a target of a
Turkification
Turkification, Turkization, or Turkicization ( tr, Türkleştirme) describes a shift whereby populations or places received or adopted Turkic attributes such as culture, language, history, or ethnicity. However, often this term is more narrowly ...
policy, removing most traces of a non-turkish heritage.
Inspectorate General
In 1927 the office of the
Inspector general
An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general".
Australia
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory off ...
was created, which governed with martial law.
The province was included in the
First Inspectorate-General () over which the Inspector General ruled. The Inspectorate-General span over the provinces of
Hakkâri,
Siirt
Siirt ( ar, سِعِرْد, Siʿird; hy, Սղերդ, S'gherd; syr, ܣܥܪܬ, Siirt; ku, Sêrt) is a city in southeastern Turkey and the seat of Siirt Province. The population of the city according to the 2009 census was 129,188.
History
Pr ...
,
Van, Mardin,
Bitlis
Bitlis ( hy, Բաղեշ '; ku, Bidlîs; ota, بتليس) is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of Bitlis Province. The city is located at an elevation of 1,545 metres, 15 km from Lake Van, in the steep-sided valley of the Bitlis R ...
,
Sanlıurfa,
Elaziğ and
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır (; ; ; ) is the largest Kurdish-majority city in Turkey. It is the administrative center of Diyarbakır Province.
Situated around a high plateau by the banks of the Tigris river on which stands the historic Diyarbakır Fortress, ...
. The Inspectorate General were dissolved in 1952 during the Government of the
Democrat Party. The Mardin province was also included in a wider military zone in 1928, in which the entrance to the zone was forbidden for foreigners until 1965.
State of Emergency
In 1987 the province was included in the
OHAL
The OHAL region ( tr, Olağanüstü Hâl Bölge Valiliği, lit=Governorship of Region in State of Emergency) was a "super-region" created in Turkey under state of emergency legislation, as part of its approach to the Kurdish–Turkish conflict. Fr ...
region governed in a state of emergency. In November 1996 the state of emergency regulation was removed.
Districts
Mardin province is divided into 10
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
(capital district in bold):
*
Mardin
Mardin ( ku, Mêrdîn; ar, ماردين; syr, ܡܪܕܝܢ, Merdīn; hy, Մարդին) is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for the Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on ...
(Central district, renamed
Artuklu in 2014)
*
Dargeçit
Dargeçit ( ku, Kerboran) is a town and seat of the Dargeçit District of Mardin Province in Turkey. The town is principally populated by Kurds of the Erebiyan tribe and had a population of 14,976 in 2021.
Neighborhoods
The town is divided int ...
*
Derik
Derik ( ku, Dêrika Çiyayê Mazî) is a town in the Derik District in Mardin Province of Turkey. The town had a population of 18,942 in 2021.
Government
In the local elections of April 10 Mülkiye Esmez from the Peoples' Democratic Party was e ...
*
Kızıltepe
Kızıltepe ( ku, Qoser, ota, Tell-Ermen, lit=Armenian hill ) is a town and district in Mardin Province of Turkey. As of 2021, the district had a population of 263,938, making it the most populous district in the province.
Government
In the lo ...
*
Mazıdağı
*
Midyat
Midyat ( ku, Midyad, Syriac: ܡܕܝܕ ''Mëḏyaḏ'', Turoyo: ''Miḏyoyo'', ar, مديات) is a town in the Mardin Province of Turkey. The ancient city is the center of a centuries-old Hurrian town in Upper Mesopotamia. In its long history, the ...
*
Nusaybin
Nusaybin (; '; ar, نُصَيْبِيْن, translit=Nuṣaybīn; syr, ܢܨܝܒܝܢ, translit=Nṣībīn), historically known as Nisibis () or Nesbin, is a city in Mardin Province, Turkey. The population of the city is 83,832 as of 2009 and is ...
*
Ömerli
*
Savur
Savur (; ar, صور, Ṣawr; ku, Stewr) is a town and district in the Mardin Province of Turkey.
Politics
In the local elections of March 2019, Gülistan Öncü of the pro-minority HDP was elected mayor. On 15 November 2019, she was detain ...
*
Yeşilli
Gallery
File:View from Mardin to the Mesopotamian plains.jpg, Minaret of the Grand Mosque of Mardin (12th century) and the view of the Mesopotamian plains.
File:Mardin P1050254 20080426114925.JPG, Kasimiye Madrasa (14th century)
File:MardinSultanIsaDomes.jpg, Zinciriye Madrasa (14th century)
File:Savur P1040131 20080424144611.JPG, View of Savur
Savur (; ar, صور, Ṣawr; ku, Stewr) is a town and district in the Mardin Province of Turkey.
Politics
In the local elections of March 2019, Gülistan Öncü of the pro-minority HDP was elected mayor. On 15 November 2019, she was detain ...
and the grand mosque in the center
File:Mardin P1030527 20080423132754.JPG, Abdullatif Mosque (14th century)
Image:Mor Gabriel Monastery 1310581 nevit.jpg, Mor Gabriel Monastery
Dayro d-Mor Gabriel ( syc, ܕܝܪܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܓܒܪܐܝܠ; the ''Monastery of Saint Gabriel''), also known as Deyrulumur, is the oldest surviving Syriac Orthodox monastery in the world. It is located on the Tur Abdin plateau near Midyat in the M ...
File:Killit Mor Yuhanun ici P1030894.jpg, Mor Yuhanun Church
File:Mar Jacob Church, Nisibis.jpg, Mar Jacob Church in Nusaybin
Nusaybin (; '; ar, نُصَيْبِيْن, translit=Nuṣaybīn; syr, ܢܨܝܒܝܢ, translit=Nṣībīn), historically known as Nisibis () or Nesbin, is a city in Mardin Province, Turkey. The population of the city is 83,832 as of 2009 and is ...
File:Zafaran1.JPG, Dayro d-Mor Hananyo monastery
File:MuttergotteskircheHah.JPG, Syriac Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = syc
, image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg
, imagewidth = 250
, alt = Cathedral of Saint George
, caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
in Midyat
Bibliography
*
References
External links
Mardin Weather Forecast Information Pictures of the capital of this provinceArticles about the Syriacs and photos of MidyatTourism information is available in English at the Southeastern Anatolian Promotion Project site.Mardin Travel Guide* https://twitter.com/MardinBuyukshr
{{Coord, 37, 21, 47, N, 40, 54, 31, E, region:TR-47_type:adm1st, display=title
Provinces of Turkey
Upper Mesopotamia
Assyrian geography
Geography of Kurdistan
Turkish Kurdistan