The historic Old Mardin district, renowned for its mosques, madrasas, churches, winding narrow streets and iconic stone houses, draws tourists year-round, bolstered by the popularity of Kanal D's series "Uzak Şehir" (Far Away).
The city's historic registered structures and the harmonious coexistence of diverse religions, languages and cultures keep tourism thriving year-round. Buildings in the protected Old Mardin area beneath Mardin Castle attract strong interest from local and foreign tourists. In addition to the more than 60 existing hotels offering 22,000 beds, new investments in hotels and guesthouses continue to expand accommodation options for visitors. Sites such as the Dara Ancient City, Mardin Museum, Kasımiye Madrasa and Deyrulzafaran Monastery draw thousands of visitors each year.
The Kanal D series "Uzak Şehir," filmed amid Mardin's captivating landscapes, has dramatically boosted the city's global allure, sustaining year-round tourism and spotlighting its delectable local cuisine in bustling restaurants.
The historic city drew 3 million visitors, including 900,000 overnight guests, last year and 3.5 million local and foreign tourists, including 950,000 overnight visitors, in the first 10 months of this year.
Özgür Azad Gürgör, vice president of the Mesopotamia Travel Agencies and Tourism Hoteliers Association (METOSAD) and president of the Mardin Tourism and Hoteliers Association (MARTOD), said the city has begun welcoming visitors year-round.
“In 2024, we reached about 900,000 overnight stays. We had close to 3 million entries and exits. One of our goals was to extend Mardin tourism to 12 months. With the efforts and promotion activities that have continued since 2012 and with the contribution of TV series, we have spread it to 12 months. Now there is demand not only in summer and spring but also in winter. There is strong guest demand,” he said.
Goal to reach 5 million visitors by year-end
Gürgör said the series “Uzak Şehir” has contributed significantly to the city’s promotion. “Series and films shot in the city provided strong promotion. The Culture Route Festival was also held recently. Our ambitious target is 5 million total visitors and 1.2 million overnight stays by year-end. Having already surpassed last year’s full record in just 10 months — with 950,000 overnight stays — we are on track to exceed 1.2 million by year-end. Mardin is one of the rare cities in Türkiye and the region that offers cultural and faith tourism. We are very happy about this. We are also very proud to have extended Mardin tourism to 12 months. According to our data, we have 950,000 overnight stays in 10 months and 3.5 million entries and exits,” he said.
