Dara Archaelogical Site

Mesopotamia’s most magnificent ancient site Dara is in Oğuz Village (Oğuz Köyü) located 30 kms South East of Mardin. The ruins of the ancient site and the village have interfered into each other and ruins can be seen all over the village. Archeological excavations that started in 2008 tells a lot from antiquity to our day even in a small fragment of the city. Syriac, Zarathustrian, and Turkish domed burials meet at the large necropolis of Dara and make it even more worth visiting. The city was first built as a military garrison by the Emperor Anastasios (491 – 518 AD) in 506. It is also a very important link of the defensive chain of the Eastern Roman Empire’s Eastern border to the Sasanids. It is seen that the city was planned as a civilian residential area besides military reasons. Strong city walls, aquaducts, bridges, a cistern, a church, a baptistery, rock tombs, quarries, and cave houses meet the necessities of the city. The city’s glamour carried on until the early Medieval Era and then vanished. If you have previously paid a visit to Ephesus, you should definitely visit Dara Ancient City (Dara Antik Kenti) that enlightens the history of Mesopotamia.