The Winding Streets and Stone Houses of Eski Midyat - Midyat, Turkey

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Travelers pass by Midyat to see the old houses and churches around the old town before proceeding either to Mardin or further up east.

Roam around the back streets and you will immediately have that antique feel of the place. The picturesque houses of Midyat beams golden honey color on the facades and walls of the houses lining the winding maze-like streets, especially during the sunset. Rows of beautiful mansions, some of them are derelicts, and most are recently restored.

Mansions along the streets of old Midyat.

Crumbling edifice.

Children playing football in the street of old Midyat.

You may find several children coming from school and some playing along the streets in the afternoon. There are also sheeps, cows and chicken wandering around as some of the houses have stables on the ground level.

Neighbors chatting.

Occassional sights of locals walking along the streets.

You know that you’re already at the town centrum of Eski Midyat once you see the clocktower monument standing right at the middle of the intersections of Mardin Simar Yolu, Batman Yolu and Cumhuriyet Blv.

The clock tower is engraved with images of a minaret representing the muslim population of the town, church tower representing the Christians, and a peacock for the Yezidis – all signifying multi-cultural segments of the town’s population.

You can catch the minibus around this clock that will take you to Estel – the new part of town.

There is a small market area where you can buy anything that you may possibly need, otherwise, you can go to the bigger market of Estel.

The market of Eski Midyat.

There are hotels too at the old town like the luxurious Shmayaa Hotel and Kasr-I Nehroz, Turabdin hotel near the Mor Abraham and Mor Hobel Monastery, and the more contemporary ones like the shiny clean and friendly Midyat Gap Hotel with all its modern comforts and where I have stayed for almost a week.