At the stone carving workshop of the Mardin Vocational and Maturation Institute, certified Mardin stone is engraved with motifs from historical buildings.

In the building serving as the Mardin Vocational and Maturation Institute – constructed on the ruins of the 700-year-old Muzafferiye Madrassa at the foot of Mardin Castle and originally built as Mekteb-i Rüştiye on May 11, 1892 – the art of stone carving, one of Anatolia’s oldest crafts, is kept alive.

Designs prepared by the research team of the institute, inspired by motifs from historical structures in the city, such as stone houses, madrassas, mosques and monasteries, are engraved onto certified Mardin stone in the stone carving workshop by master instructors.

‘Carving stone like lace’

Center Director Tuğba Mungan told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they research the culture of Mardin and Şırnak in many aspects, analyze it and then carry it into the future through design and production.

She said her institution works in many fields, particularly traditional handicrafts that are at risk of being forgotten, and help preserve certified Mardin stone – one of the city’s key geographically indicated assets – by processing it in-house.

Mungan said, "Mardin stone is not just a material being processed; it is also the memory of the city. Every motif on it carries information from the past and builds a bridge between the past and the future.”

She said that under the "Journey of Art in the Memory of Stone: Latifiye Mosque Motifs” project, stone motifs are studied, designed and then engraved onto certified Mardin stone. She added that the institution previously had only one master stone craftsman and is now working to increase that number.

Mungan said the team now has two masters, including one woman, and is training a third, who is also a woman. She said the goal is to preserve the craft, develop it and pass it on to future generations.

She noted that stone craftsmanship is present in all buildings in Mardin and said the tradition dates back 7,000 years. "It is very valuable that a woman’s touch is involved in Mardin stone craftsmanship,” she said. "Our female master prepares very beautiful works. For us, this is very precious. Since stone is carved like lace, our female masters can do this work beautifully and easily.”

Rich in motifs

Workshop instructor Hadra Tırpan, 28, a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Mardin Artuklu University, said she joined the Mardin Vocational and Maturation Institute after graduation to pursue her childhood dream of working in stone carving.

She said she trained under master stone craftsman Aydın Nas and has been shaping stone at the institution for about two years.

Tırpan said the Mardin nahit stone is soft when first extracted and then hardens, requiring skill and balance to work properly. She said motifs are carved into the stone "like lace” and "like embroidery,” adding that she was always impressed by the craftsmanship and wondered how such intricate designs were made.

She said the workshop mainly produces ethnic and regional motifs, each with its own story, and also frequently incorporates religious symbols. "This is a city of religions and languages, where people of different faiths live together in harmony,” she said. "We take inspiration from everything. Mardin is a very rich city in terms of motifs.”

Tırpan said transferring childhood impressions of these motifs into future generations through the institute was one of her biggest dreams, adding that she hopes to train more female masters and ensure the craft continues.

She added that manual craftsmanship is especially important in the restoration of historic buildings and stone structures and noted that they receive many job offers in this field.

"You give soul to stone,” she said. "It is a difficult job, but women can achieve anything.”