Ancient cistern found under barn in Turkey's Mardin

MARDİN – Anadolu Agency

AA photo

Excavations in the southeastern province of Mardin’s ancient city of Dara have unearthed a 6th century cistern. The Roman-era cistern was found in a field used as a barn. 

Nihat Erdoğan, the director of the Mardin Museum, said excavation works have been ongoing in the 3,000-year-old ancient city of Dara, located on the road to Mardin’s Nusaybin district. 

Erdoğan said the majority of the Roman city of Dara remained under village houses.

“As excavations continue in Dara, artifacts from the Roman and Persian eras come to light. The latest excavations discovered the Roman-era cistern, which is 18 meters in depth and 15 meters by width. This place was filled with earth that we later emptied. Its ruined ground has been restored as part of a project led by the cultural and natural heritage conservation board,” he added.

Erdoğan said the cistern met the water needs for guests who came from Mardin during the Roman and Persian eras. 

“What is particularly interesting about this cistern is that it is behind a four-kilometer wall located in the western part of the city. Even though guests from Mardin were not given permission to enter the city, we believe the cistern was built to meet their water needs,” he added. 

The museum director said the cistern would be opened to tourism from January 2017, after the excavation works end in Dara. 

He noted that Mardin has historically always been culturally diverse, which presents a rich tourism potential.

“We are working to make this richness visible. Our goal is to promote Mardin to the world and reflect these values. The city has had continuous cultural values since its establishment. We expect Mardin to be known by more tourists,” Erdoğan said.