Mardin and Hasankeyf

Just really quick, before I go to bed (how will I get back to my teaching schedule - I wouldn't even be home by now normally?!), here are some pictures of Mardin, a really nice city in Southeastern Turkey which is known for its nice architecture, and Hasankeyf, the other place I HAD to go to on whatever trip I took to Eastern Turkey. Here's Mardin:





This was a Syrian Orthodox monastery and in fact it is still being used by some students and a couple of priests.





Mardin's post office! Pretty nice



Nice building for a bank



View from Mardin, you can almost see Syria it is so close.



And now Hasankeyf. It's like a miniature Cappadocia, only the Tigris river runs through it. There is a great castle high up on a cliff and extensive ruins on the cliff, probably houses etc. It dates from the 14th century, and I'm not entirely sure when it stopped being used, but it's been a long time. It really is such a lovely location and when a friend of mine visited there last year and I saw her picture, I knew I had to go.



There used to be a bridge but it was replaced with a more modern bridge.



Looking up at the castle, where I am standing in the first picture





I'd hate to have been the first person who had to cut those stairs into the rock.



If you look closely you can see the top of the bridge is being used as a home and people are hanging laundry on it!

Did I mention Hasankeyf will probably disappear in a few years because of a dam being built? Water levels will rise to possibly 40 meters, destroying so much history and also people's homes and lives. It's become touristy because of this reason and you too should get there before it disappears!



We had a fun lunch on the river (literally), just below the castle. We ate on the floor on cushions and relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. Unfortunately no beer was available because the manager, who has access to the alcohol or something like that, was at the mosque praying...Interesting place!