Mardin (MQM): the bus goes to the old town as well as the new city
Mardin is two places, the modern city and the old town on the ridge, and the airport buses serve both. Kiziltepe is only five kilometres away.
- The airport is about 20 km south-east of Mardin, and only 5 km from Kızıltepe.
- Municipality buses and Havas buses both run from the airport, and between them they reach the modern city, called New Mardin, and the old Mardin district on the ridge.
- That second destination matters. The old town is where you actually want to be, and it is not the same place as the new city.
- A bus takes 40 to 50 minutes; a taxi or transfer 25 to 30.
- Dolmuş, the shared taxis, also serve the route.
- Minibuses waiting near the airport reach Kızıltepe in about 20 minutes.
- Taxis wait directly in front of the terminal.
- One passenger terminal, with check-in on the ground floor and departures on the first.
- Free wifi, ATMs, currency exchange, a medical unit, a CIP lounge and mother and child rooms.
- Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, AJet and SunExpress fly here, essentially all domestic, to Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
Two Mardins, and the bus knows the difference
- Mardin is a modern city on the plain and an old town stacked up a limestone ridge above it. The old town, with the Deyrulzafaran monastery and the honey-coloured houses, is the reason people come.
- The airport buses reach both. Municipality and Havas services run to the city centre, meaning New Mardin, and on to the old Mardin district.
- Tell your driver which you want. A taxi dropped in New Mardin is a further ride from the old town.
The options
| Option | Time |
|---|---|
| Municipality or Havas bus | 40 to 50 min |
| Dolmuş shared taxi | similar |
| Taxi or private transfer | 25 to 30 min |
| Minibus to Kızıltepe | about 20 min |
- Taxis wait in front of the terminal.
- Havas schedules are coordinated with the main flights, so there is normally something waiting after an arrival.
- Local transport in Mardin itself runs on minibuses and buses stationed at busy points, every 5 to 10 minutes.
Kızıltepe
- The airport is only 5 km from Kızıltepe, which is closer than it is to Mardin. The airport is administratively in Kızıltepe district and its full name is Mardin Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar Airport, after the Nobel laureate who was born there.
- Minibuses stationed near the airport get you there in about 20 minutes.
The terminal
- One passenger terminal, check-in on the ground floor, departures on the first.
- Free wifi, ATMs, currency exchange, a medical unit, a CIP lounge, mother and child rooms and accessibility services.
- Domestic traffic only in practice. Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, AJet and SunExpress link Mardin to Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
Where you are
- This is south-eastern Turkey, close to the Syrian border. Mardin itself is an ordinary destination with a heavy domestic tourist trade, but check current advice for the wider region before planning day trips east or south.
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