Mardin at night
In contrast to black Diyarbakır, Mardin is sometimes called 'the White City' becasue of the distinctive pale limestone used here. Famous for the beautiful ornate carving on the outside of its buildings, British historian Arnold Toynbee, no mean traveller, called Mardin 'the most beautiful town in the world.' The common motifs used are vines hung with grapes, doves, water drops (symbolising lifewater) and even naked human figures. Wood is almost never used here in house construction, owing to its shortage.
At night the limestone buildings glow in the light of the streetlights. All houses are built against a steep hill in such a a way that each house gets the shadow from its neighbours. A good solution to prevent the daily summer heat entering the houses.
Mardin, Eastern Turkey
Mardin at night
In contrast to black Diyarbakır, Mardin is sometimes called 'the White City' becasue of the distinctive pale limestone used here. Famous for the beautiful ornate carving on the outside of its buildings, British historian Arnold Toynbee, no mean traveller, called Mardin 'the most beautiful town in the world.' The common motifs used are vines hung with grapes, doves, water drops (symbolising lifewater) and even naked human figures. Wood is almost never used here in house construction, owing to its shortage.
At night the limestone buildings glow in the light of the streetlights. All houses are built against a steep hill in such a a way that each house gets the shadow from its neighbours. A good solution to prevent the daily summer heat entering the houses.
Mardin, Eastern Turkey