The Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum is one of the best places to understand old Mardin beyond its postcard stone houses. Exhibits focus on local crafts, domestic life, religion, and the layered communities that shaped the city.
The building itself fits the subject: traditional stone architecture adapted for museum use. Visit early in your stay, then the alleys, churches, mosques, and markets of Mardin will make more sense.