Mardin

Dear Readers, I am sure you have already figured out that I am no longer in Turkey, but have arrived back in Iraq safe and sound (even if this does sound like an oxymoron). My passport arrived without mishap at the hotel in Diyarbakir and I was able to leave the next day for Mardin. I checked into Hotel Bilen next to the bus otogar so that I could make it out as early as possible the next day (to avoid being stuck in a long line in the midday sun up at the border crossing into Iraq).

I then spent a leisurely afternoon exploring all of the stone buildings of Mardin. I think the best views of Mardin are from the bottom of the hill/mountain it perches on top of, but I was unable to stop and take photos there. I also didn't have time for trecking as I arrived late in the day and was exhausted from an intensive morning of shoppping in Diyarbakir. My first stop in Mardin was the museum, at which I met a tourist police officer... I have never heard of such a thing, but apparently they exist. He found me in the ticket office of the museum where the worker took me after I tripped and fell on the stone stairs existing the museum. He asked the owner of this fine donkey to give me a ride.
This is the officer sitting on the balcony of one of the new boutique hotels in Mardin. The building the hotel is housed in is rather old and quite beautiful. I would prefer to stay in one of these the next time in Mardin - the expense seems worth it.
The man above is painting a picture of (___________?). She is a godess who is half snake, half woman. If you know her name, please let me know.
And this man is carving furniture. The end result was very nice - wooden sofa frames carved with fruit and other embellishments.
The final photo is taken from a tea garden across from the post office. It was a nice way to relax and take in Mardin. I wish this was the end of my day, but unfortunately, it was followed with a dinner that belonged ranked with the worst of what I have eaten in Hawler: greasy and full of mutton...