The richest and most striking of the Assyrian Orthodox monasteries is Deyrulzafaran.  Set 10 kilometres from Mardin and just twenty minutes drive along the main road.  Then by a side track up into a narrow rock valley only to open up in to a jaw dropping setting. The monastery is surrounded by a sheer ridge of rock that towers thousands of feet above. Its setting alone is worth the drive. 

We enter the monastery and to our surprise we are greeted with a speciality nut shop, a selection of souvenirs and an up market coffee shop. It looked more like a national trust monument than operational monastery. We pay our 10 TL per ticket, sit in the cafe along with a dozen or so others and wait until a guide arrives. Sadly, the monastery only permits tours under the supervision of a Turkish speaking guide. 

The climb to the monastery is up a long stone pathway lined with trees. By the time we reach the top our breathing is shallow, a good excuse to gaze at the doorway. The courtyard opens out beyond the main gateway gives a heady sense of space. High stone walls rise on three sides and an elegant stone staircase with columned balcony leads to cloisters. 

Deyrulzafaran means saffron and aptly named because of the saffron plant growing around the monastery. In keeping with other Syriac monasteries, it is a beautiful architecture example with its domes, arched columns, wooden handcrafts and stone embroideries.  Interesting to learn that the complex was used as a sun temple before Christ and then as a tower by Romans before building a monastery. 

Zafaran Monastery is a Syriac built in the 9th century. At present, it is a place to visit and a shelter for impoverished Syriacs. The monastery used to be a religious centre for the Syriac until 1932. One of the biggest of many monasteries existing in the area with 52 Patriarchs buried here. The secret section for worshipping called “mahzen” is the oldest part of the monastery. The guide takes you to three sections of the monastery, Church of Virgin Mary, Zafaran church and tombs.  You only see a very small section of the overall monastery and in our option, internally it is not a patch on the other churches in the area. (click to enlarge photo)

With Mardin only less than twenty minutes away we decided to visit the city on Eor. Why give up a brilliant parking spot and superb place to play ball with Mac n Tosh? We zip in and around the old city with its honey coloured stone and windy streets. Sadly, it is overcrowded with traffic and tourists, so a nice stroll is out the question. The main street has a good atmosphere with a mix of traditional and modern shops. The recent ‘one mould fits all’ shops signs take away the quaintness that added to Mardin’s unique bazaar qualities. Orthodox gold and silver smiths whose work is famous throughout the country still practice their craft here. Their workshops side by side now blend in with the shop signs for soap, trinkets and other tourist tat.  

Mardin city is located on the slope of a hill looking down south to the Mesopotamian plains. As we head back to the motorhome this is our best view of the city. Mardin is on the main trade route connecting Turkey to Syria and Iraq. According to a hearsay, the history of the city dates as far back as the Flood.The city used to be known as “Marde” by the Persians, “Mardia” by the Byzantine, “Maridin” by the Arabs and “Merde-Merdo-Merdi” by the Syriac. These were transformed into “Mardin” after the area was occupied by the Turks.

After a tireless ball game with Mac n Tosh we plunge in to a cool and refreshing shower. The amount of dust we have collected is rather orange and alarming.  The shower tray resembles a muddy puddle, which we quickly scrub before the dudes tango Vin. A refreshing chilled beer at sunset accompanied by fresh pomegranates from the monastery gardens.  

Our Bumble free parking spot at Mardin GPS position N037.299068, E040.790476