Nusaybin can be explored on a cultural trip through several distinct themes: sacred architecture, the history of education, and religious traditions. Two buildings are close to one another: Mor Yakup Church is just 100 meters east of Zeynel Abidin Mosque. This distance provides a specific sense of place, while the histories of the buildings span different centuries.

Mosque, Mausoleums, and Church

The Zeynel Abidin Mosque complex brings together a mosque and minaret with the two mausoleums of Zeynel Abidin and his sister Sitti Zeynep. The ensemble also includes a şadırvan, madrasa rooms, a cemetery, and newer ablution facilities. The different elements give the complex its layered character: prayer, remembrance, learning, and other facilities stand side by side. The mausoleums are also referred to as those of Molla Zeynelabidin and his sister Seyyidete Sitti Zeynep. Molla Zeynelabidin is considered a 13th-generation descendant of Hussein.

The inscription on the mausoleum in the complex gives the years 1107–1108 as its construction period, during the rule of the Artuqids. The inscription places the building in a clearly identified historical era. Along with the complex’s different elements, it offers a specific point of reference for distinguishing between the complex as a whole and the history of an individual mausoleum when learning about the site.

Mor Yakup and the History of the Nusaybin School

Mor Yakup Church connects several stages in its history: Mor Yakup was appointed Bishop of Nusaybin in 309; construction of the church began in 313. Additions from different periods span the 4th century to the present day. Through these expansions, the church has housed different cultures. According to one tradition, it was preserved for 1,600 years because Muslims respected Mor Yakup.

The Nusaybin School also offers a distinct perspective on the city’s history. Mor Yakup founded it in 326 with his student, the poet Mor Efrem. Alongside theology, subjects taught there included philosophy, logic, literature, geometry, astronomy, medicine, and law. The broad range of subjects shows that the school’s history was not limited to religious instruction. Those interested in Nusaybin’s cultural history can thus consider the history of sacred architecture and the history of knowledge as distinct yet equally place-based themes.

One historical account dates the city’s origins even further back: Nusaybin was founded by the Subarians around 4500 BCE and rebuilt west of the Çağ-Çağ Stream around 3000 BCE. The city’s early history therefore encompasses both its founding and its later reconstruction. It predates the construction histories of the church and mausoleum by a considerable margin and represents a distinct chapter in the long story of the place.

Religious Traditions and Surroundings

The mausoleum at Selman-ı Pak Mosque is considered a stopping point for people returning from a visit to Karbala. Another religious tradition concerns Selman-ı Farisi: according to the tradition, he served Muhammad as a barber. These stories can be distinguished from the histories of the buildings and the school, adding to the picture of Nusaybin’s religious traditions.

Two nearby destinations are described to help with orientation beyond the town. Mor Evgin Monastery is in the Tuz İzlo area, 25 kilometers from Nusaybin. Gırnavaz Hill lies about four kilometers north of the center of Nusaybin district, at the foot of the mountains and directly on the western bank of the Çağ-Çağ River. This makes it possible to distinguish the buildings in town from the described sites in the surrounding area without combining them into a single route.

Getting There

The center of Nusaybin district is 1.5 kilometers from the E-90 highway. The nearest domestic airport is Mardin Airport, 55 kilometers from Nusaybin. If you are considering traveling by air, check flight connections for your travel dates; current conditions are key when planning your road journey. The distances provide a guide to the specified reference points, while driving times and flight schedules need to be planned separately.

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