Tufan Türenç: A trip to the southeast: time stops in Mardin, Hasankeyf living its last moments

People who want to describe Mardin, that is how they talk about this incredible place. A person could become lost in time in this city which encompasses a 6,500 year history. Scores of people have come and gone from this city, which faces the south towards the plains of Mesopotamia, built on the skirts of a hill. From the Sumerians and Assyrians of ancient times to the more recent Araps, Selcuks and Ottomans......Mardin carries history into modern times with its architecture, enthography, and archeology. Looking at Mardin from the plains, its cultural richness has the power to amaze. Walking the narrow streets of Mardin, with the mosques, churches and monasteries nestled into one another, you see how love and acceptance have lived in this place for thousands of years. Time stops. ***In recent years, local governments who didn't understand what a jewel this city this, have allowed Mardin to become dirtied. The paralleled stone buildings have been added on to with ugly cement additions, ruining the effect of the stone. Apartments have sprung up next to the stone houses. I dream, looking at Mardin, that I could have some almighty power to reach in and rip out these houses that ruin the fabric of the city. I bet everyone who looks at Mardin feels the same way.  ***We went from Mardin to Midyat and then on to Hasankeyf. Midyat is a museum city like Mardin. But the same houses, dirtying the landscape, have popped up there. People are really beginning to understand the value of these places. Hasankefy, which will soon be covered in water, is another world. Thousands of people, knowing they will never again have the chance to see it, are touring this historical cave town. Right now, the biggest problem facing local leaders is that there is no where to put up all of the tourists coming in to see Hasankeyf. Over the May 19 holiday, 4 thousand people toured the city of Mardin. There were no empty beds. Now we can see clearly what PLL terrorism has done to this area. If Turkey hadn't spent 15 years fighting PKK terrorism, this region would be hosting 2 million tourists a year. From now on, the thing to do is to fight to get back all of that spent time. Â