Mardin, one of the oldest cities of Mesopotamia which used to be the center for religions and different civilizations for hundreds of years, is a focus of interest of local and foreign tourists from all over the world due to its historical heritage. The Crown Prince Charles of England , visited Mardin in October 2004 accompanied by Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, President of the Board of Directors of Erdem Holding and the

Honorary President of the Turkish-American Business Association. Prince of Wales who visited the 860 years old Kasımiye and Zinciriye madrasahs built during the Akkoyunlus' period, the 840 years old Hatunye (Sittiradviye) madrasah built during the Artuklu period, the 1300 years old Deyrulzafaran monastery, churches of Kırklar and Meryem Ana (Virgin Mary), the historic houses of Mardin and the underground shopping stores, visited also the exhibition of photographs at the Mardin post oflfice and got information from the authorities. Prince Charles, who defined Mardin as the best example in the world for tolerance between the religions, got together with the representatives and prelates of the Armenian, the Suryani, the Christian and the Müslim communities. Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, the Honorary President of the Turkish-American Business Association and the President of our Board of Directors, accompanied The Crown Prince Charles of England in his visit to Mardin which took place on October 26, and also presented him an exquisite painting reflecting the city's architectural and historical structure .

MARDIN: A History Of Seven Thousand Years, Seven Languages, Seven Cultures And Seven Religions

Dr. Erdem, in his statement to the press, said "We present our thanks to Prince Charles for honoring our city with his visit. Mardin, wıth its identity as cultural crossroads where throughout ıts seven thousand years history, seven different languages have been spoken, seven different cultures have been active, and seven different religions have been blended, is a vvorld class city that has embraced numerous civilizations and has hosted distinctive ethnic groups and sects. Our city enjoys an unique position in the world thanks to its people who are welcoming such diversity and have lived together through thousands of years with tolerance, love and respect".

Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem also said "Being from Mardin myself, l feel that it is a great honor for our city that such a distinguished and dignitary person has chosen Mardin in Turkey for his visit. Further-more, it is noble, signifıcant and distinguished of him to have not neglected to visit our mosques in ad-dition to his visits of churches of his own culture and religion."

President Erdogan's advice to Prince Charles
When Prince Charles informed Prime Minister Erdoğan of his plan to visit Mardin, Erdoğan advised him to do an impromptu and unrehearsed visit to a local house, something very much in accordance with the customs and traditions of Turkey. Prince Charles took his advice, and was surprised by the hospitality displayed by the host despite having no advance warning of his visit; he then moved to the terrace of the home and enjoyed the beautiful Mardin skyline, and shared and enjoyed its culture with the locals.