ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Mardin, a predominantly Kurdish city in southeast Turkey has made festive preparations to welcome Christmas and the New Year celebrations.
Mardin is a multicultural city and is known as the city of coexistence. The city is renowned for its local architectural texture, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches, monasteries, and mosques. There is a large Syriac Christian community in Mardin.
Emrullah Kosene has made preparations for Christmas at his winery. The special Syriac wine produced in Mardin is in high demand and people from across the country flock to the city to buy them.
Kosene says his sales have significantly increased with the coming of the season.
"Wine is a 7,000-year-old culture. When people share this culture with other people, it makes them happy to relive it. We want everyone to feel this joy. We are also very happy when we bring this wine culture to life," Kosene told Rudaw's Mashallah Dakak.
Christmas decorations are visible everywhere in Mardin. Streets and shops are lit up with colorful lighting and large illuminated Christmas trees.
Other nationalities - Kurds, Turks, Syrians, and others have traditionally shared the Christmas celebrations with Christians in the city.
Among the cities of Turkey’s Kurdish region, Mardin is the city most visited by tourists. The city's architecture, intellectual centers, and religious, historical, and natural sites make tourists from many places come to this city not only in the summer but throughout the year.