İdil brings together historic landmarks in the town centre with archaeological sites and churches in the surrounding area. The Timur Fountain and Meryem Ana Church represent different chapters in the town’s history; Havindi broadens the picture with rock settlements south of the centre. The regional context is also important: not all of the churches mentioned are in the town itself.

Historic Landmarks in the Town Centre

The Timur Fountain, a historic structure dating from the 15th century and attributed to Timurlenk, is located in the town centre. Meryem Ana Church is dated to 57 AD and was originally known as Mor-Yuhan Church. It received its present name in 1710. The date 57 AD refers to the dating of the church; 1710, by contrast, marks when it acquired its present name. The building was originally constructed in three sections, two of which remain today. The district administration describes the church as the second-oldest to have adopted Christianity, after the Mor-Petrus Church in Antioch.

Eski İdil, also called Aşağı Mahalle, is a neighbourhood in the town centre where a Syriac community is historically attested. The archaeological site of Aşağı Mahalle Höyüğü is located there; the neighbourhood is also known as Süryani Mahallesi. The fountain, church, neighbourhood and archaeological site offer different ways of exploring the town’s history, from an attributed date to recorded names and changes to the buildings.

Rock Settlements and Road Location

İdil lies on the road between Midyat and Cizre. One specific distance given for the surrounding area concerns the rock settlements of Havindi: they lie 29 km south of İdil’s centre. There, 33 structures carved out of the rock have been identified, including 28 settlements, four cisterns and one structure that was probably used as a mosque. The proposed use as a mosque remains a cautious interpretation. The combination of settlements, cisterns and a possible mosque makes clear that this is a group of different structures.

Churches in the District and Surrounding Area

In İdil district, there are numerous churches belonging to Syriac communities, in addition to the Central Mosque. One example in the surrounding area is Mor-Yakup Church in Öğündük. It is part of an active, well-maintained monastery complex. The church is north of the courtyard, a two-storey teaching building is to the west, a catacomb to the east and a monumental entrance to the south. The cardinal directions make it possible to understand the arrangement of the different buildings around the courtyard.

Mor-Aday Church is in Basak, a former Syriac settlement near Öğündük. The village was abandoned at the end of the 19th century; the church was used as a dwelling for a time and is now left to its own devices. Its history is therefore quite different from that of the active monastery complex in Öğündük. Mor-Melke Church is in a Syriac village on the road between İdil and Midyat, one kilometre from the main road on its southern side. These location details refer to different places in the surrounding area, not to a single sightseeing route.

Choose Accommodation Based on Your Itinerary

When looking for a holiday apartment in İdil, first consider whether you want to focus on the historic landmarks in the centre or also plan to visit individual places in the surrounding area. Havindi is 29 km south of the centre; the regional churches are each located in a different place.

Discover more destinations: Silopi, Şırnak, Cizre, Bağlıca Köyü, Yeşilöz

Go to the main travel overview: Şırnak.