From Quarry to Monument: Considering Mardin Stone (SE, Türkiye) as the Symbol of Architectural and Cultural Heritage

Abstract

The cultural and architectural significance of stone becomes evident as one traces its journey from quarry to monument. Located in southeastern Türkiye, Mardin City presents an urban landscape characterized by stone-built heritage. This transforms Mardin into an open-air museum where the final stone products are exhibited. In addition to its cultural and historical significance, the present study explores the geological, physical, mechanical, mineralogical, petrographic, and chemical properties of the Mardin Stone through the samples collected from the Artuklu, Midyat and Savur districts of Mardin. The Mardin Stone is represented by two different types of limestone deposited during the Cretaceous-Eocene period, categorized as fossiliferous micritic limestone and micritic limestone. The physicomechanical and thermal characteristics suggest that the samples collected from the Artuklu district exhibit better engineering properties than those from the Midyat and Savur districts. The study mapped ancient and modern quarries, illustrating the significance of the stone extraction and crafting techniques used to produce the Mardin Stone. Additionally, it emphasized the ongoing use of stone in contemporary structures, its vital role in heritage conservation, and its export to various countries, notably for use in the Syriac diaspora churches. The evaluations demonstrate that the Mardin Stone, with its diverse architectural applications and symbolic element of the collective memory, meets the essential standards and criteria of the International Union of Geological Sciences-Heritage Stone Subcommission (IUGS-HSS) as a potential candidate for designation as Heritage Stone.