Mor Behnam (Church of the Forty Martyrs)

Rising among the narrow stone lanes just north of 1st Street in the heart of Mardin's old town, the Church of Mor Behnam is recorded as having been built in AD 569 in honour of the Syriac saint Mor Behnam and his sister Saro.

History

Originally bearing the name Mor Behnam, the church came to be called the Kırklar (Forty Martyrs) Church in 1170, when the relics of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste were brought here; the name transferred from Mardin's original Forty Martyrs church after that building was converted into a mosque. According to tradition, the forty were Roman soldiers of Greek origin who, refusing to renounce their faith under imperial persecution, were left to die in a frozen pond at Sivas (ancient Sebaste). After Mardin became the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate in 1293, the church rose to the rank of metropolitan cathedral, from which the spiritual and administrative affairs of the community were directed, a standing it held for centuries.

Architecture & Artefacts

Architecturally, the church presents one of the most refined examples of Mardin's limestone craftsmanship: the main sanctuary sits to the east of a broad courtyard, its arches carried on rows of pillars, alongside a bell tower and stone ornament worked with the delicacy of lace. Centuries-old wooden gates, root-dyed curtains and a carved facade lend the courtyard a profound sense of age, while inside, the carved wooden iconostasis, a large painting narrating the story of the Forty Martyrs, and icons in the eastern tradition are the church's most striking features.

Visiting & Access

It remains an active Syriac Orthodox place of worship today, hosting liturgies and weddings, and is open to visitors for a modest entrance fee. For travellers, Kırklar Church is the single most tangible expression of Mardin's multicultural, multi-faith fabric, which is precisely why agencies place it almost without exception in the standard old-town walk: it lies a few hundred metres from the Great Mosque, on the same pedestrian axis as the madrasas and the Coppersmiths' Bazaar, it unites the faith-tourism and culture-tourism narratives in one stop, and its photogenic courtyard makes an ideal pause for group tours. The average visit lasts 30 to 45 minutes, and guided programmes usually slot it between the Mardin Museum and the Great Mosque.

Nearby stand the Great Mosque, the Kasımiye and Zinciriye madrasas, the arcaded Coppersmiths' Bazaar, the Mardin Museum and the west-facing panorama terraces; the Deyrulzafaran Monastery lies 5 km to the east. The best photo spots are the carved stone facade of the courtyard, the silhouette of the bell tower and the inscription over the wooden entrance door. Vehicle access into the old town is difficult; buses drop off at Cumhuriyet Square / the 1st Street lower car park, and groups continue on foot through the narrow lanes. Coach access is therefore indirect, and wheelchair access is limited by the steep cobbled streets and courtyard steps. The best time to visit is spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October); summer middays are hot and winters cool. Peak season falls on spring weekends and public holidays. A recommended route begins in the cool of the morning at Cumhuriyet Square, taking in the Mardin Museum and the Great Mosque, then Kırklar Church, followed by the madrasas and bazaar, and finishing on the plain-facing terraces at sunset.