Getting to Mardin: Aziz Sancar Airport (MQM), Buses and Mesopotamian Road Trips

Mardin Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar Airport (MQM), named in honour of Mardin-born Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Aziz Sancar (born in Savur), sits on the flat plain in Kızıltepe just 18 kilometres (25 minutes by road) south-west of Old Mardin. Frequent daily non-stop flights connect Mardin with Istanbul (both IST and SAW, 2 hours flight time), Ankara and Izmir.

1. From Mardin Airport (MQM) to Yenişehir and Old Mardin (25 to 30 Minutes)

• Havaş Airport Shuttle Coaches: white Havaş coaches wait outside the arrivals exit for every landing flight. The coach drives north across the plain into Yenişehir (New Mardin) (stopping at Karayolları, Valilik and Ravza Caddesi for modern hotels) and continues up the winding road to the western entrance of Old Mardin (Cumhuriyet Meydanı / Eski Mardin Otogar) in 30 minutes. Pay on board with a contactless bank card or Turkish lira cash.
• Mardin Metropolitan Municipality Public Buses (Havalimanı, Eski Mardin): blue/white municipal buses and Kızıltepe, Mardin minibuses pass along the main highway outside the airport entrance every 15 minutes, climbing all the way through Yenişehir to Cumhuriyet Meydanı in Old Mardin for a standard city fare (contactless Visa/Mastercard accepted).
• Airport Taxis (20 to 25 minutes door-to-nearest-stop): metered yellow airport taxis wait outside baggage claim. If you are staying at a boutique stone mansion in Old Mardin, tell the driver the exact landmark on Birinci Cadde closest to your hotel so you don't get dropped off at the far end of the one-way street.

2. Combining Mardin with Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep Overland

Mardin sits at the eastern anchor of Turkey's classic Mesopotamian cultural route, connected by fast four-lane divided highways:

• From Diyarbakır (95 km north, 1 hour 15 mins): minibuses depart every 30 minutes between Diyarbakır and Mardin; if flights to Mardin (MQM) are full, flying into Diyarbakır Airport (DIY) and taking a 75-minute transfer to Mardin is a popular alternative.
• From Şanlıurfa / Göbeklitepe (190 km west, 2 hours 15 mins) & Gaziantep (330 km west, 3.5 hours): direct coaches run along the Silk Road highway (E90) with an easy midday detour to Harran or Viranşehir.