Mardin Province

Flag of Turkey.svg Mardin Province
Location of Mardin Province
Location of Mardin Province in Turkey
Mardin districts.png
Overview
Region: Southeastern Anatolia Region, Turkey
Area: 8,891 (km²)
Total Population 745 778 TUIK 2007 (est)
Licence plate code: 47
Area code: 0482
Governor Website http://www.mardin.gov.tr
Weather forecast turkeyforecast.com/weather/mardin

Mardin Province (Syriac: ܡܶܪܕܺܝܢ, Merdin; Arabic: مردين, Mardīn) is a province of Turkey with a population of 745 778.[1] The population was 835,173 in 2000[2].The capital of the Mardin Province is Mardin. Located near the traditional boundary of Anatolia and Mesopotamia, it has a diverse population with a Arabic majority in provinces Mardin, Yeşilli, Savur, Ömerli and significant minorities of Kurds, Syriacs and Turks. And with a Kurdish majority in provinces Kızıltepe, Midyat, Nusaybin, Derik, Mazıdağı, Dargeçit and significant minorities of Arabs, Syriacs and Turks.

View from Mardin to the Mesopotamian plains

The local Syriac community, while much reduced due to the results of the Syriac Genocide, supports two of the oldest monasteries in the world, Dayro d-Mor Hananyo (Turkish Deyrülzafaran, English Saffron Monastery) and Deyrulumur Monastery. The Christian community is concentrated on the Tur Abdin plateau and in the town of Midyat, with a smaller community (approximately 100) in the provincial capital.

Politically the area is competitive between the governing moderate-Islamist Justice and Development Party and Kurdish nationalist Democratic People's Party, and the True Path Party has some strength, especially in rural parts of the province.[3]

The old town of Midyat, second city of the province

Unemployment and poverty are serious problems, and there has been considerable out migration to western and southern Turkey, although the reduction in political violence, coupled with infrastructure improvements such as a new civil airport at the provincial capital and improvements to the Ankara-Baghdad highway are helping ameliorate matters.

Mardin is an Aramaic word (ܡܶܪܕܺܝܢ) and means "fortresses".

Districts

Mardin province is divided into 10 districts (capital district in 'bold):

References

  1. ↑ Turkish Statistical Institute (2007). "2007 Census, population by provinces and districts". Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
  2. ↑ Population of Mardin province
  3. ↑ Local election results, 2004

External links

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