The Monastery of Mor Hananyo

The monastic complex of Mor Ḥananyo is located 5 kilometers East of the Turkish city of Mardin, capital of the homonymous province. It lies in a shallow basin half-way up the side of the mountain ridge.

It’s ancient name of “Monastery of St Ananias” was due to a bishop of Mardin, who rebuilt the monastery in 793 CE after a period of decline. Nevertheless, the complex was founded in the early sixth century, and its most ancient buildings are the main church, the Church of the Mother of God, and the beth qadishe (burial chamber). The monastery is said to have been erected on a complex that was used as Temple of the Sun, and as a castle by the Romans after the second century. When the Romans abandoned the fortress in the late fifth century, Saint Şleymun brought the bones of some saints here and turned the castle into a monastery, which was, indeed, formerly known as Mor Şleymun Monastery (Hollerweger, Hans, Andrew Palmer, Sebastian Brock, and Sevil Gülçur. Lebendiges Kulturerbe : Turabdin : Wo Die Sprache Jesu Gesprochen Wird. Freunde des Tur Abdin, 1999, 340; http://www.deyrulzafaran.org/turkce/detay.asp?id=15&kategori=MANASTIR). However, no archaeological investigation has been carried out to verify the presence of a temple or a Roman military outpost, for the only source we rely upon is the testimony of the early nineteenth-century traveler Gertrude Bell (Bell, Gertrude, and Marlia Mundell Mango. The Churches and Monasteries of the Tur’Abdin. London: The Pindar Press, 1982: 69f, 132-5, Pls. 188-198). Between 1166 and 1932, with some interruptions, Mor Ḥananyo was the residence of Syrian Orthodox Patriarchs. The throne of the patriarch and his library, with valuable manuscripts and books, are still preserved in the monastery (Hollerweger et al, 1999, 342). After the 15th century, the complex began to be called Deyrulzafaran (Saffron Monastery), perhaps after the saffron plant growing around it or else because of the warm color of its stone.

Life in the Saffron Monastery today is varied and interesting, and the celebration of the Liturgy stands at the hearth of its daily routine. It is one of the important religious centers of the Syriac Church, as well as the residence of the Metropolitan of Mardin. Assyrians scattered all over the world, together with local and foreign tourists visit the monastery everyday.

FORMAL ANALYSIS