Mardin In The Memory Of Stone (Exile And Prayer) Poem by Ekrem KAZAN

Author's Note In the poem 'Memory of Stone - Exile and Prayer, ' the main theme is treated with clarity and depth, reflecting the condition of an ancient people and the inhabitants of a city—the noble society of Mesopotamia—who for centuries have been forced into displacement by feudal ethnic powers, now etched into the memory of the stone. Migration, exile, and memory are the identity bonds of a people. The city and its stones are presented not merely as physical spaces, but as symbols carrying memory and the past. The memories, culture, and language of a people forced to migrate to various European countries, particularly Sweden, continue to live on within the city and its stones. Although the physical distance created by migration and exile suggests a severance, the bonds are preserved today through memory and prayer. The poem describes the stones and the city as carriers of the past, memories, and prayers through the theme of exile: 'This city, leaning its shoulder against yellow stones...' 'A city where stones speak, where doors pray...' The Mor Gabriel Monastery and the Aramaic inscriptions demonstrate that this ancient culture still breathes. The lines 'The letters carried by the wind unite in Aramaic / Echoing on its walls' emphasize the importance of culture and its heritage. The phrase 'Lives were squeezed into suitcases, ' the locking of doors, and the people migrating to far-off lands highlight the heavy consequences of exile. The impact of the exile of a tens-of-thousands-of-years-old society upon human life is emphasized through this metaphorical imagery. 'Moriyo… Moriyo…' represents the impact of supplication, lament, or longing. It ensures the transmission of culture and language to future generations, embedding the continuity of memory and ancient prayers into the mind from birth through a mother's lullaby. The metaphor 'For exile is distant, but memory is near' strengthens the evidence that the physical distance of migration cannot erase memory or identity. The lines 'Language does not vanish, faith does not extinguish / The stone endures, time waits' convey a message of hope and resistance, asserting that the identity and faith of a people forced into exile endure. In summary: The poem processes the theme of migration and exile through the stones and monasteries of Mardin. It brings to the fore not only pain, but the continuity of memory, prayer, language, and culture. While exile creates a physical rupture, identity and culture—preserved through stones, prayers, and lullabies—have lived from tens of thousands of years ago to the present and will continue to be kept alive in the future. Ekrem KAZAN / M. Sc. Architect / 2026