News
HRH visits the ancient town of Mardin in Turkey
25th October 2004
The Prince of Wales visited the ancient town of Mardin in south eastern Turkey to promote tourism, see the restoration of the town‘s ancient buildings and even pay a surprise visit to a local family.
One of Turkey's most beautiful towns, Mardin is located in Upper Mesopotamia with a history going back to 4500 BC.
Mardin has a rich cultural heritage, with Kurds, Arabs, Jews, Turks, Armenians and Suriani (Syrian Orthodox Christians) all part of Mardin's past and present.
The Prince‘s visit to the town which overlooks the Mesopotamian Plains, would have been impossible just five years ago.
Tourism in Mardin and the surrounding area was badly affected by terrorism in the 1990s, but in recent years the security situation has improved considerably with businesses and visitors beginning to return, and the town now even bidding for UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
The Prince was met by Professor Metin Sozen, founder of the CEKUL Foundation which is responsible for much of the restoration work in the town.
Professor Sozen showed His Royal Highness the work taking place at several of the town's architectural gems, including the Kasimiye Medresesi, Kirklar Church and Latifiye Mosque.
The Kasimiye Medresesi building dates from the 14th century and was formerly a University of Astronomy.
The Prince, who founded The Prince's School of Traditional Arts to preserve old craft skills, was fascinated by the intricate carvings on the walls of the buildings and the tranquil courtyard where a musician played a ney pipe.
Later he visited the Syrian Kirklar church which was built in the 6th century and owes its name to 40 Christian martyrs who were killed in the 3rd century.
He visited a classroom in the church where boys aged 10 to 17 were learning Aramaic - the language spoken during the time of Jesus.
The reading and writing lesson was held in a tiny arched tunnel-shaped room just off the central courtyard. The Prince was presented with a Bible written in Aramaic and said: “It would take me years to learn it. I shall have to get somebody to translate it!”
The Prince also paid an unexpected visit to a local house, making his way up a cobbled alley and into a traditional Turkish dwelling.
He was greeted by cheese-maker Musa Yucesoy, his one-and-a-half-year-old son Mehmet and six-year-old Rufat.
Musa invited The Prince into his home, which was reached through a courtyard and up stone steps to the first floor apartment, and showed him round.
Musa‘s wife Sabahat said: “It fills me with pride that he has come to our house. We didn‘t know who he was but we knew he was important.”
Musa told The Prince that his business was doing well and he was pleased to have him as his guest.
The Prince thanked him for his visit and said: “I shall be able to tell the Prime Minister of Turkey that I have dropped in on a local house.
“I'm thrilled to have a chance of seeing something of Mardin.”
The Prince also visited the post office in Mardin which is a striking example of a restored building being put to use by the community, something which The Prince supports in Britain through his charity, The Prince of Wales's Phoenix Trust.
Built in the 1890s, the ornate building, where 55 people work, is decorated with skilfully crafted carvings.
The head of cultural and tourism in the province, Muhlis Hamidi, said: “It's important in terms of tolerance and dialogue for a Christian Prince to come here to a Muslim settlement.”
He added: “It's a message for certain terrorist groups who try to set up against each other.
“They bombed the British Consulate but we embrace the Prince of that country.”
His Royal Highness was also entertained, when he visited the post office, by one of the workers who performed a traditional Turkish dance while carefully balancing a glass of tea on his head.