An old church in Midyat

Tur Abdin is a hilly region of south east Turkey incorporating the eastern half of Mardin Province, and Sirnak Province west of the Tigris, on the border with Syria. The name 'Tur Abdin' is from the Syriac (ܛܘܪ ܥܒܕܝܢ), meaning 'mountain of the servants (of God)'. Tur Abdin is of great importance to Syriac Orthodox Christians, for whom the region used to be a monastic and cultural heartland. The people of Tur Abdin call themselves Suryoye and more traditionally "Suroye" something they share with their brethren Nestorian and Chaldean Aramean and traditionally speak the Aramaic dialect recently called Turoyo but originally called "Surayt" in their mother tongue. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (887x590, 289 KB) Although now a tiny minority of less than 1% of the population, Christian churches dominate the skyline of Midyat, Southeastern Turkey. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (887x590, 289 KB) Although now a tiny minority of less than 1% of the population, Christian churches dominate the skyline of Midyat, Southeastern Turkey. ... Midyat is a district of Mardin Province of Turkey. ... Map showing the location of Mardin Province of Turkey Mardin Province is a province of Turkey with a population of 835,173 (2000)[1]. The capital of the Mardin Province is Mardin. ... Sirnak is a Turkish province in the south east of Anatolia. ... The Tigris is the eastern member of the pair of great rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of Anatolia through Iraq. ... Syriac ( Suryāyā) is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ... The Syriac Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Middle East with members spread throughout the world. ... Turoyo is a Modern West Syriac language, a dialect of Aramaic. ...

Today, the population of Tur Abdin is mostly Muslim and divided between Kurmanji-speaking Kurds and Arabic-speaking Mhallami (Mhalmoye). This latter group represents Syriac Orthodox Christians who converted to Islam centuries ago, but still retain some Syriac Christian customs. For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... The Kurdish language (Kurdish: Kurdî or کوردی) is a term used for a range of different dialects of a language spoken by Kurds. ... Languages Kurdish Religions Predominantly Sunni Muslim also some Shia, Yazidism, Yarsan, Judaism, Christianity Related ethnic groups other Iranian peoples (Talysh Baluch Gilak Bakhtiari Persians) The Kurds are an ethnic group who consider themselves to be indigenous to a region often referred to as Kurdistan, an area which includes adjacent parts... Arabic redirects here. ... The Mhallami (Arabic: , ; Syriac: , ; meaning perhaps dreamers) are an ethnic group in South-eastern Turkey. ... The Syriac Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Middle East with members spread throughout the world. ...

Monastery

Mor Hananyo Monastery

The most important Syriac Orthodox centre in Tur Abdin is the monastery of Dayro d-Mor Hananyo, 6 km south east of Mardin, in the west of the region. Built from yellow rock, the monastery is affectionately known as Dayro d-Kurkmo in Syriac, Dayr al-Zafaran in Arabic, or Deyrülzafarân in Turkish: the Safron Monastery. Founded in AD 493, the monastery was the residence of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch from 1160 to 1932. Although the patriarch now lives in Damascus the monastery still contains the patriarchal throne and tombs of seven patriarchs and metropolitans. Today the monastery is lead by a bishop and a monk and some lay assistants, and is a school for orphans. The bishop of Mor Hananyo is also the patriarchal vicar of Mardin. His goal is to rebuild the monastery and to preserve the history of the Syriac Orthodox church. The Dayro d-Mor Hananyo is part of the UNESCO wold cultural heritage and was visited by numerous celebrities e.g. like Prince Charles. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1296x976, 695 KB) Mor Hananyo Monastery I took this picture on April 27, 2005. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1296x976, 695 KB) Mor Hananyo Monastery I took this picture on April 27, 2005. ... Dayro d-Mor Hananyo as seen from the road. ... Mardin (Kurdish: , Syriac: ܡܶܪܕܺܝܢ MerdÄ«n, Arabic: ماردين) is a city in southeastern Turkey. ... Arabic redirects here. ... Events February 25 - Odoacer agrees to a mediated peace with Theodoric the Great, and is later killed by him personally. ... The Patriarch of Antioch is the head of the Syrian Orthodox Church. ... Events Eric IX of Sweden is succeeded by Karl Sverkersson. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Damascus (disambiguation). ...

In the centre of Tur Abdin, halfway between Midyat and Cizre, is Dayro d-Mor Gabriel. Built in AD 397, Mor Gabriel monastery, is the oldest functioning Syriac Orthodox monastery. It is the residence of the Metropolitan Bishop of Tur Abdin, seven nuns, four monks and a host of guests, assistants and students. The monastery is charged with keeping the flame of Syriac Orthodox faith alive in Tur Abdin, for which it is as much a fortress as a church. The prominent towers of Dayro d-Mor Gabriel The functional main accommodation block Mor Gabriel, emphasising its role as a working community Dayro d-Mor Gabriel (Aramaic - ) is the oldest surviving Syriac Orthodox monastery in the world. ... Events Council of Carthage: Definitive declaration of the biblical canon Candida Casa founded by Saint Ninian. ...

History

The town of Midyat and the villages of Hah, Bequsyone, Dayro da-Slibo, Salah (with the old monastery of Mor Yaqub), `Aynwardo (Ayinvert) (with Mor Huschabo), Anhel, Kafro, Arkah (Harabale, with Dayro Mor Malke), Beth Sbirino, Middo (Miden) and Azagh were all important Syriac Orthodox places. Hah has the ancient `Idto d'Yoldath-Aloho, the Church of the Mother of God. Midyat is a district of Mardin Province of Turkey. ...

During the First World War, many Syriac Christians, some 500,000 (according to Syriac Orthodox records, ca. 90.000 of their community were included), were killed in the Armenian and Aramean Genocide (called in Syriac Sayfo, simply 'the sword') and died alongside their coreligionists. In the last few decades, caught between Kurds and Turks, many Syriac Christians have fled the region or been killed. Today there are only 2,500, a quarter of the Christian population thirty years ago. Most have fled to Syria, Europe (particularly Sweden, Germany and ), Australia and the USA. However, in the past few years, a few families have begun to return to Tur Abdin. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Languages Kurdish Religions Predominantly Sunni Muslim also some Shia, Yazidism, Yarsan, Judaism, Christianity Related ethnic groups other Iranian peoples (Talysh Baluch Gilak Bakhtiari Persians) The Kurds are an ethnic group who consider themselves to be indigenous to a region often referred to as Kurdistan, an area which includes adjacent parts... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized...

On 10 February 2006 and the following day, large demonstrations took place in the city of Midyat in Tur Abdin. Muslims angry about the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons gathered in Estel, the new part of the city, and started to march towards the old part of Midyat (6 kilometers away), where the Christians live. The mob was stopped by the police before reaching Midyat. is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Midyat is a district of Mardin Province of Turkey. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after twelve editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005. ...

See also

• Aramean people
• Aramean-Syriac people

The Aramaeans, or Arameans, were a Semitic, seminomadic and pastoralist people who originated and had lived in upper Mesopotamia and Syria. ...

External links

• The Diocese of Linz Eastern Christian Initiative and the Friends of Tur Abdin (in German)
• Maps of Tur Abdin

Coordinates: 37°24′18″N 41°29′43″E / 37.405, 41.49528 Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...