Deyrulzafaran Monastery

Deyrulzafaran - the saffron monastery, named for the colour of the stone or, by another account, for saffron once mixed into the mortar - stands on the slope below Mardin looking out over the Mesopotamian plain. It was founded in the fifth century on a site with older use, and from 1160 to 1932 it was the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, which makes it one of the most significant buildings of that church anywhere. It is still a working monastery with a small community, a bishop in residence and services in Syriac - a form of Aramaic. The tour takes in the underground chamber beneath the main church, built of fitted stone without mortar and used as a temple long before the monastery; the burial vault of the patriarchs; the chapel with its carved stone throne and old doors; and the courtyards with their carving. The plain below stretches to the horizon and, from the terrace, to Syria beyond it.

What you actually see

• The saffron stone - the warm-coloured monastery walls.
• The underground chamber - the mortarless pre-Christian room.
• The patriarchs' vault - the burial chamber of the seat.
• The plain view - Mesopotamia from the terrace.

When to go

April to May and October to November; the plain is punishing in summer. Visits are guided at set times and services take precedence.

Honest expectations

It is a working monastery - visits are guided, timed and restricted, and photography is limited inside. Dress modestly. The site closes to visitors during services.

Nearby

Mardin's old town is five kilometres up the hill; Dara is about half an hour south-east.