In its long history, the city of Midyat has been ruled by various different leaders and nations. According to the 1960 population census Midyat was home to 570 Christian households and only 30 Muslim households.
Before World War I, Midyat was the only town in the Ottoman Empire with an Assyrian / Syriac majority. The city is populated by Syriac people, Kurds and Mhallami people. Estel neighborhood is about 80 to 85% Kurdish-populated.
