Turkey's Dara: Ancient City That Used to Be Key Byzantine Fortress

In the early Byzantine times, Dara was an important fortress, located in northern Mesopotamia, near the border with the Persian Sassanid Empire. The Dara fortress played an important role in the Irano-Byzantine war of the VI century. The famous Battle of Dara took place near it in 530.

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The ancient city of Dara, located 30 km from Mardin in southeastern Turkey, dates back more than 1,400 years.

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It was the most important strategic point on the Byzantine-Persia border, located in one of Upper Mesopotamia’s most populated areas.

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The city of Dara was built by order of Darius, the famous Persian king, and that is how it got its name.

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Houses carved from rocks and caves were found during excavations in the Dara region, which started in 1986. Moreover, remains of the palace, bazaar, storage facilities, a bridge, dungeons and a dam have been discovered.

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Throughout its history, the city often changed hands in numerous clashes between the Byzantine Empire and the Persians.

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Dara’s architecture, some of which has survived to this day, attracts tourists and archaeologists.

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In particular, zindan, a building used as a dungeon, has remained since the days of Darius.

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During excavations, archaeologists discovered ancient tombs, as well as many human bones, oil lamps and jugs.