Mardin 2010: The Rebirth of an Ancient City Through Contemporary Art

On a scorching Saturday in June, a group of local and international visitors gathered beneath the vaulted ceilings of Zinciriye Madrasa, a striking 14th-century structure in Mardin. Under its arches, newspaper clippings from the Turkish and international press were on display—but the headlines were incomplete. In his interactive work “Mansetin” (“The Headline”), artist Hakan Irmak invited visitors to write their own stories.

This work was only a small fragment of the Mardin Biennial, which unfolded across the entire city. Comprising video installations, paintings, and photographs, the exhibition extended from historic madrasas to abandoned mansions and public squares, transforming Mardin into a vast open-air gallery. The Biennial’s title, “Abbara Kadabra,” referred both to the “abbaras”—the stone passageways connecting the city’s labyrinthine streets—and to the sense of unexpected magic created by the encounter between this ancient fabric and contemporary art.

Where Stone Meets Art

Mardin, located just north of the Syrian border, rises dramatically on a steep hillside overlooking the vast plains of Upper Mesopotamia. With traces of settlement dating back to 4500 BC, the city stands as a natural capital of art and culture. Its finely crafted limestone architecture remains the most tangible expression of its enduring aesthetic heritage.

This multicultural legacy still resonates in everyday life:
mosques, churches, and caravanserais coexist within the same urban silhouette;
traditional crafts continue to thrive in historic bazaars;
and the culinary culture carries the layered imprints of diverse communities that have shaped the region over centuries.

A Cultural Vision for the Future

The emergence of contemporary art in Mardin reflects a broader ambition: to position the city not merely as an open-air museum to be preserved, but as a living and productive cultural space. The Biennial became one of the most visible expressions of this vision. As the city’s historic fabric was reinterpreted as an exhibition environment, contemporary art began to articulate a new language within this deep architectural memory.

This approach extended beyond exhibitions. Through international collaborations, site-specific works, and strong engagement with the local context, Mardin gradually positioned itself within a broader cultural network. In retrospect, the first Biennial stands as a critical threshold that shaped the trajectory of future editions.

A New Art Route in Mesopotamia

Mardin’s transformation unfolded without disrupting its inherent rhythm. Wandering through its stone-paved streets, watching kites drift above its terraces, and observing the city glow in golden hues at sunset remain essential experiences.

Yet today, contemporary art is also part of this atmosphere.

For this reason, the Mardin Biennial can be understood not simply as a series of exhibitions, but as a cultural initiative that seeks to shift the geographical and symbolic center of contemporary art—bringing it closer to the eastern edge of the map. The first Biennial in 2010 remains a defining moment in establishing this creative dialogue between past and present.

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/travel/22nextstop.html