Mardin Stone Houses

Mardin is a settlement located on the southern slope of the Mazı Mountains in Türkiye’s Southeastern Anatolia Region. The city spreads over an area approximately 2,500 metres in length and 500 metres in width. Mardin’s traditional urban layout consists of stone houses terraced gradually along the sloping terrain. These houses exhibit a stepped appearance reminiscent of staircases. From the vantage point of the citadel, the houses appear stacked one above another. Each house’s roof is designed to function as the terrace of the house above it.

Building Materials and Architectural Features

The primary building material of Mardin’s stone houses is yellow limestone quarried locally. Due to its soft texture, this stone is easily worked; upon exposure to air, it hardens and gains durability. This characteristic endows Mardin houses with a rich architectural character in terms of ornamentation and structural elements. Wood is used only for door and window frames. Wall thickness varies between 70 and 120 centimetres, reaching up to 200 centimetres on ground floors. Different techniques such as barrel vaults, cross vaults and mirrored vaults have been employed for roofing.

Planning and Spatial Organization

Mardin houses typically comprise functional sections such as an inner courtyard (havs), rooms (beyt), kitchen (matbah), pantry, toilet (kenef), workshop, stable and water cistern. Living spaces are categorized as enclosed (room), semi-open (eyvan, revak) and open (courtyard, terrace, roof). Eyvans are typically three-walled, one-open transitional spaces oriented toward the view. Revaks are semi-open spaces supported by columns and featuring multiple arch openings. Courtyards are private areas closed to public access, serving as venues for family social activities.

Thermal and Spatial Comfort

In traditional Mardin houses, movement between interior spaces follows seasonal and daily usage needs. During summer, eyvans and ground-floor rooms are preferred for their coolness; in winter, ground-floor rooms are favored due to their greater warmth. Eyvans and revaks provide shade and coolness during summer months, while terraces are used as sunbathing areas in winter. Studies have determined that ground-floor rooms and eyvans offer the best thermal comfort in summer, ground-floor rooms and pantries in autumn, and pantries and ground-floor rooms in winter.

Stone Ornamentation and Facade Composition

One of the distinguishing features of Mardin stone houses is their stone ornamentation. Stones are decorated using techniques such as carving, relief, inlay, engraving and coloured stone work. Ornamentation is concentrated on facade elements such as doors, windows, arches, pilasters and niches. Monumental entrance doors are meticulously crafted to reflect the homeowner’s status. Arches in doorways take forms such as pointed, semi-circular and horseshoe arches. Plant motifs are prominent on pilaster capitals and keystone blocks. Windows are typically simple rectangular openings, often framed by pilasters and ornamental borders. Birdcage windows serve both ventilation and decorative purposes.

Construction Techniques

Buildings were constructed using a rubble masonry system. Cut stone was used for main facades, roughly dressed stone for side and rear walls, and rubble stone for foundations and vaults. A mixture of lime and sand was preferred as mortar. Plaster is not used on interior surfaces; cleaning is done by rubbing the walls with sand. Roofs are either earthen or vaulted. Roofs are used during summer months both as sleeping areas and for drying foodstuffs.

Plan Typologies

Houses are generally constructed according to “square”, “rectangular”, “L-shaped” and “inverted T” plan typologies. Multi-storey construction is common due to topographical constraints. Floors were typically added in different periods. The orientation of living spaces toward terraces and views has allowed the settlement to adapt harmoniously to its natural environment.

Current Use and Conservation Status

Mardin’s historic urban centre was designated as an Urban Conservation Area in 1979. Since 2012, increased tourism activity has led to the conversion of some historic stone houses into guesthouses and accommodation facilities. The tradition of stone craftsmanship continues today through restoration projects and local artisans.