Dara is an ancient Byzantine city located about 30km southeast of Mardin,
not far from the border to Syria. The city was founded by the Byzantines in the 6th century AD, as a military outpost close to the border to the Persian empire. It was captured by the Persians and taken back by the Romans a couple of times before being captured by Arab Muslims in 639 AD. Nowadays the ruins of Dara are next to the Kurdish village of Oğuz.
The highlights are the extensive necropolis with countless tombs cut into the rock and the large Byzantine cistern complex, an impressive underground chamber with 30m high pillars which in ancient times was located under a Christian church.
How to get to Dara
Dara is a short 40 minutes drive from the city of Mardin.
Accommodation
Visitors stay in Mardin where there are several hotels, most of them bookable via the international booking portals.