Midyat

Midyat
Midyat
Coordinates: 37°25′00″N 41°22′11″E / 37.41667°N 41.36972°E / 37.41667; 41.36972Coordinates: 37°25′00″N 41°22′11″E / 37.41667°N 41.36972°E / 37.41667; 41.36972
Country	Turkey
Province	Mardin
Government
• Mayor	Şehmus Nasıroğlu (DP)
• Kaymakam	Fatih Akkaya
Area[1]
• District	1,054.25 km2 (407.05 sq mi)
Population (2012)[2]
• Urban	60,425
• District	105,542
• District Density	100/km2 (260/sq mi)
Post code	47500
Website	www.midyat.bel.tr

Midyat (Kurdish: Midyad, Syriac: ܡܕܝܕ Mëḏyaḏ) is a town in Mardin Province of Turkey. The ancient city is the center of a centuries-old Hurrian/Hurrian town in Southeast-Turkey, widely familiar under its Syriac name Tur Abdin.^{[citation needed]} A cognate of the name Midyat is first encountered in an inscription of the Neo-Assyrian king Ashur-nasir-pal II (883-859 B.C.).^{[citation needed]} This royal text depicts how Assyrian forces conquered the city and its surrounding villages. In its long history, the city of Midyat has remained politically subjected by various rulers - from the Assyrian Empire to the modern Turks.

History

The history of Midyat can be traced back to the Hurrians during the 3rd millennium. Ninth century BC. Assyrian tablets refer to Midyat as Matiate, or city of caves due to the caves at eleth 3 km away from the city where the earliest inhabitants lived. Many different empires had ruled over Midyat including the Mitannians, Assyrians, Urartians, Medes, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Abbasids, Seljuks and Ottomans.^[3]

Due to repeated marauding from invading Mongol and Turkish tribes into Tur Abdin culminating in the end of the 14th, 19th and beginning of the 20th century - the Assyrian population of Tur-'Abdin was severely decimated. The Assyrian Genocide of World War I wiped out large numbers of Assyrians in Turkey.

After the so-called Gastarbeiter ('guest worker') era, though, commencing in the early 1960s, the city was soon to be nearly completely emptied from its native inhabitants who choose to leave for a better life offered in Western Countries. Soon other local Mhallami and Kurdish inhabitants start building houses in the surrounding areas. The houses and churches belonging to Christians have been preserved although many of them are empty. At present some 130 Assyrian Christians continue to live in Midyat permanently, and they have been joined by at least 300 Syrian refugees fleeing the Syrian Civil War. ^[4]Some Syrian Jews still remain in Midyat.

Quarters

From late Ottoman time up to modern time Old Midyat was divided into following quarters (in Syriac: Aš šawṯawoṯo d Mëḏyaḏ):

• Qašrowat
• Barlaṭe
• Griġowat
• Baḥdowat
• Zatte Čalma
• Zabuq
• Malke Mire
• Ġannowat
• Sacidowat
• Čëfčaqa

Economy

The Midyat economy similar to that of any small southeastern village in Turkey consisting of carpets, towels and other cloth goods. More specific to the city is its silver crafts called telkari, which are handcrafted filigreed ornaments. Another staple in the Midyat market is its bulgur, which is a cereal food derived from wheat.^[5]

Climate

Midyat part of the province of Mardin has a semi-arid climate with very hot and dry summers and cold, wet, and occasionally snowy winters. Temperatures in summer usually increase to 40°C - 50°C (104°F - 122°F) due to Mardin being situated right next to the border of Syria. Snowfall is quite common between the months of December and March, snowing for a week or two. Mardin has over 3000 hours of sun per year. The highest recorded temperature is +48.8°C.

References:

Bargello, Fehmi, I flyktens kölvatten. Jönköping: 1998.

Hollerweger, Hans, Turabdin. Austria: 1999.

Mor Barsawmo Syriac Orthodox Church. Although now a minority of less than 10% of the population, Christian churches under long term protection of Turks now dominate the skyline of Midyat

References

External links

• Study on the spoken Arabic of Midyat, in the Arabic language

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Midyat.

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