Mardin

Mardin is a historical city and settlement center located in the el-Cezîre region of Upper Mesopotamia. In Islamic-era geographical sources, it is mentioned within Diyar-ı Bekr, which forms the northern part of Cezîre (Vol. 1, p. 87).

Islamic Period and the Marwanids

In Ibn Hawqal's depiction of Cezîre, the region is divided into Diyar-ı Bekr and Diyar-ı Rabia; among the prominent cities of Diyar-ı Bekr, whose center was Amed, Mardin, Meyyafarikin, and Erzen are counted (Vol. 2, p. 62). Mardin was also known for its scholarly life as an old Marwanid city. Ibn Asakir met with many scholars from the Marwanid period in the old Marwanid cities of Bidlis, Duneyser, Erzen, and Mardin, which he visited during his travels, and provided information about them in his work (Vol. 1, p. 136). Mardin was located within the sphere of influence of the Dustekî-Marwanid State (h. 345-489/m. 956-1095), which ruled in Cezîre, along with Amed, Meyyafarikin, Cizre, Nusaybin, and northern Musul (Vol. 2, p. 64).

Kurdish Settlement

The city and its surroundings were a region densely populated by Kurds. Sources mention Kurdish communities living scattered around Mardin —more densely in the Hemedan and Şehrezor Mountains, in the area extending from Cizre to the Tigris— and in Musul; the presence of Kurds living in the villages of Cizre and Mardin indicates that they lived not only in the mountains but also in the plains (Vol. 2, p. 55). El-Umeri states that Nusaybin and the Kurds formed part of a large geographical area that spread into the plains of Mardin between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers during the Mamluk periods (Vol. 2, p. 103). Near Mardin, a very powerful Kurdish emir named İbrahim b. Ali, known as "Aziz Malu," ruled (Vol. 2, p. 39).

Artuqid and Ayyubid Period

Mardin was an important stage for the power struggles between the Artuqids and the Ayyubids. Ibn Shaddad mentions the Kurds in Mardin and their conflicts with the Artuqid ruler (Vol. 2, p. 63). Also according to Ibn Shaddad, in h. 518/m. 1124, when the Crusaders besieged Aleppo, the city's ruler was Artukoğlu İlgazi, the Sultan of Mardin; İlgazi fled and abandoned the city (Vol. 2, p. 75). The Ayyubids engaged in a struggle for dominance over the city with various powers in the region, especially the Artuqids, and were involved in the city's administration either directly or indirectly on the condition that the khutbah be read in their name; Qazwini expressed his admiration for Mardin Castle, built in a commanding position from which the vast plains surrounding the city could be observed from all sides (Vol. 2, p. 104). Necmeddin İlgazi, the Artuqid ruler of Mardin, in a letter sent to the Mongol army commander besieging the city, praised the courage of the Kurds and declared their readiness to defend Mardin (Vol. 2, pp. 104-105). Due to its location, the city was in a commanding position over many places, including Dunaysir (Vol. 2, p. 105).

Ottoman Period

During the Ottoman period, Mardin is recorded in administrative records as a liva (sanjak) of the Diyarbekir Eyalet; the revenues and tax items of the villages of liva such as Amid, Mardin, Birecik, Ruha, Çermik, Ergani, Harput, and similar ones were recorded in the tahrir defters (cadastral registers) (Vol. 3, p. 21). In the Amid Evkaf Defteri (Endowment Register), Mardin is registered along with the kazas (districts) of Amid, Hısn-ı Keyf, Ruha, Siirt, Nusaybin, and Birecik (Vol. 3, p. 22). Mardin is also mentioned among the nahiyes (sub-districts) listed in the ahkâm defters (judicial registers), along with Cizre, Midyat, and Nusaybin (Vol. 3, p. 31). Archival records also shed light on social conflicts in the city: complaints were recorded regarding approximately two hundred horsemen from the Şeyh Bızini Tribe and the Milli Tribe, affiliated with the Mardin voyvodalık (governorship), raiding Kurdish households settled in Mardin in 1116/1705 (Vol. 3, p. 32).