During my travels around East Turkey I was very fortunate to visit a lovely Kurdish village somewhere in Mardin Province. Most inhabitants here are related in some way or another and the village is filled with distant cousins related by blood or by marriage. And no, they are not huge Kardashian fans as I thought once I’ve heard the locals converse - Kardesh means brother in Kurdish and that’s how men endearingly refer to each other in this region.

ON THE WAY TO THE VILLAGE 

Every time we would go for a road trip outside of Mardin, we would inevitably meet hundreds of sheep right on the road or on the slopes next to it. For the locals it might feel like a nuisance but for visitors like me it’s one of the most cutest and memorable experiences.

The village, just like most villages in the world these days, is mainly sustained by the elderly. The younger generation is busy at work in the big and small cities and come to visit for the holidays. During the day old men gather in the center of the village to socialize over many cups of Turkish tea and warm up in a bit of sunshine. The main bakery is located here so it’s definitely a place where everyone goes to mingle and catch up.

Donkeys are used for household errands: they transport people, light branches for firewood, straw, fruit harvest and other goods. Very sweet animals they seem to be though.

Word of caution: I was told that it’s definitely a good idea to get out of the village by the time it gets dark. Kurdish Guerrillas operate in these territories and come out from their hideouts at night. You definitely don’t want to have a meet & greet with these guys so make sure your car got enough fuel and doesn’t have any mechanical issues if you do decide to visit.