Kubilayhan Doğukan
Dara, one of the most famous ancient cities of Mesopotamia, witnessed the war of Alexander and Dara in history. The fact that the underground settlement area at a depth of 40 meters is still standing has greatly increased the reputation of this ancient city in the Mardin region. Let’s take a deeper look at one of the most precious works of history, Dara.
A short journey through Dara’s history
The mysterious city of Dara, is a historical treasure waiting to come to light. It is located on the Mardin-Nusaybin highway, 30 km southeast of Mardin. Founded in 506 (early 6th century AD), the ancient city of Dara was named Anastasiopolis. This archaic settlement is one of the most famous ancient cities of Upper Mesopotamia. The water cisterns, theatre, water mill, dam, bridge, church, bazaar, warehouse, armory, and the 40-meter-deep underground settlement that was later used as a dungeon are still standing and waiting to be discovered by visitors.
While this was the most famous city of the ancient Mesopotamian region, today it has become a small, sweet village settlement known for its hospitality. The settlement also witnessed the war between Alexander the Great and Dara. The city was founded by the Iranian ruler, the famous Darayuvashi. But at various times it changed hands between the Iranians and the Romans.
Towards the end of the VII century, the Umayyads, then the Abbasids, passed into the hands of the Turks in the XV century. The ruins of the ancient city of Dara are spread over a wide area of 9 km and are mostly carved into the rocks. Visitors can see the cave houses carved into the rock with a magnificent meticulousness around the village and feel the traces of the experiences here.
The ancient city of Dara, which was built as a parsedia (recreation) in 530-570 BC by Darxis, an Achaemenid, is considered the Ephesus of Mesopotamia and this archaic settlement is one of the most famous ancient cities of Upper Mesopotamia, frequently visited by tourists.
