Going to Mardin - Part 1: Hotel Kervansarayi

The ancient Mesopotamian town of Mardin is the first town I visited in Turkey's Southeast. Now you might want to ask: of all the beautiful towns and cities in southeastern Turkey, why Mardin?

The answer is simple: because of the exemplary architectures I once saw in 'Sila', a Turkish soap opera starring the handsome ex-model Mehmet Akif Alakurt and Cansu Dere, a former Miss Turkey second-runners up. The whole series was filmed in the old town of Mardin and nearby towns such as Midyat and Hasankeyf. At first I started following the series out of curiosity-thanks in no small part to the dark, good looks of the romantic, kind-hearted male lead known as Boran Aga (protrayed by Mr. Akif Alakurt). But soon after, something more fascinating caught my attention: the medieval sandstone mansions and buildings featured in the series, which would turn into an enchanting shade of fiery, mysterious brownish red in the evening sun.

Hence I made Mardin my very first destination when I finally had the chance to visit southeastern Anatolia. It was a long journey by bus - 26 hours - from western Turkey to Mardin, thus I decided to fly to Mardin from Izmir with Pegasus Airlines. For 139TL one way, booked less than 48 hours in advance, the price is actually a bargain.

Mardin airport is located about 40 minutes away by dolmus from the new town. As the name implies, the new quarter of Mardin consists mostly of high-rise apartment blocks, shops and some new hotels. Most of the tourist sights and historical houses are located in the Old Town, perched high above the rocks on a steep hill top. Frequent blue municipal buses connect the New Mardin with the Old Mardin for 1 TL.

In the past, very few tourists visited Mardin, in part due to the longstanding armed conflicts between Turkish Army and the Kurdistan Workers' Party in the region. In recent years, however, thanks to the hugely improved security situation and the overwhelm success of 'Sila', Mardin comes to top the list of 'must-sees' for many Turkish tourists visiting the Southeast. The town also garnered a lot of interest from foreign visitors who are attracted by the region's rich pre-historic archeological sites, historical monuments dating back thousands of years, and an abundance of beautiful medieval sandstone buildings as well as Syriac-Orthodox Christian churches and monasteries.

As Mardin is really far off the usual tourist circuit, the majority of tourists who make an effort to visit Mardin are willing to spend more than average on accommodations and food. To cater for such discerning clientele, several landmark historical buildings in the Old Town have been converted into luxury hotels and up-market restaurants. One day prior to my arrival, I asked the helpful Turkish receptionist at Hotel Karaca, Izmir, to call Hotel Artuklu Kervansarayi in Mardin to make a reservation. The price quoted to him on the phone was 100TL per night including breakfast. When I arrived at Mardin and call the hotel again myself, the price became 90TL per night - even though it was clear enough I am a 'Yabanci' on account of my broken spoken Turkish. So much for all the talks about Turks getting a better price for accommodation... perhaps it is because the receptionist was a man?

In any case, I took the blue municipal bus and ask the driver to let me off in front of Hotel Artuklu Kervansarayi. The driver and fellow passengers on the bus seemed to be impressed that I chose to stay at this particular hotel; 'nice hotel' they assured me.
The hotel is indeed very nice. It is located conveniently in the centre of Old Mardin, near the dolmus station to Midyat and bus ticket offices of several long-distance bus companies. The blue municipal bus has a bus-stop directly in front of the hotel entrance. The personnels speak little English, but are very helpful and attentive.

The hotel used to be a kervansarayi, a former caravan stop on the trade route between Europe and Asia. You can still see the well and the fireplace in the reception area (former entrance to the Kervansarayi and stable). All rooms and public areas are carefully restored and tastefully furnished with antique furnitures, silk carpets and tapestry, at the same time providing modern comforts such as central heating, 24-hours hot water, en-suite facilities, satellite TV, free wireless internet connections, etc.

From the terrace, one has a sweeping view of the Mesopotamia Plains, as far as Syria; in the summer, tea and dinners are served all day on the terrace, affording marvellous night views of the plains.

In the winter, when the outside temperature drops below freezing point, and harsh icy wind sends dust all over the place, it is best to enjoy the authentic ambience inside the hotel's common lounge, a cosy Ottoman style hall with silk divans and soft carpets.

Contact Info: Otel Artuklu Kervansarayi (Caravanserai), Mardin
Tel: +90 482 213 7353,
+90 482 213 73 54
http://www.artuklu.com/

Copyrights 2010. All photos and text by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.