Mor Kiryakus Monastery

Mor Kiryakus Monastery is a historic structure located in the village of Ayrancı, Beşiri district, Batman province, Türkiye. It is considered sacred by the Syriac Christians. Situated at the farthest point of the Tur Abdin region (Midyat and surroundings), the monastery was established in the 4th century by monks who came from Aleppo. It was built on the eastern slope of Kıra Mountain, which dominates the Northern Mesopotamian Plain. As one of the earliest monasteries in the region, it holds significant religious and architectural importance.

History

Although the exact construction date of Mor Kiryakus Monastery is not precisely known, its architectural features and the absence of a bell tower date it to the 5th century. It is among the monasteries built by monks who arrived from Aleppo to the Tur Abdin region in the 4th century to spread Christianity. During the Ottoman period, the monastery underwent several repairs, and in the late 17th century, stone craftsmen brought from Hasankeyf added an upper floor. The monastery remained active until the early 1940s, after which it was abandoned.

Architectural Features

The monastery covers an area of approximately 2.5 dönüms (2,500 m²) and has a rectangular plan from the outside. Internally, it consists of two large square-plan enclosed courtyards surrounded by vaulted arcades with buttresses, forming a three-story structure. There is a floor connected to underground passages. The section used as the patriarch's bedroom features an octagonal ribbed stone dome and star-shaped cross motifs, which bear significant artistic value. The presence of numerous rooms of various sizes indicates that the monastery functioned as a complex including a place of worship, a theological school, and a retreat area.

Cultural and Religious Significance

Mor Kiryakus Monastery is regarded as a sacred center for the Syriac Christians in the Tur Abdin region. It holds an important position among the roughly 80 churches and monasteries in the area. Priests educated at the monastery were assigned as instructors to other churches nearby. The inscriptions on the building contain religious hymn texts taken from the Bible and are not intended as historical records.

Restoration and Preservation

The monastery was left abandoned for many years but has been registered and protected by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Since 2017, restoration works have been carried out in three phases. The first phase included renovation of the entrance gate, south facade, burial chamber, and rooms on the second floor. The second phase restored the surrounding walls, the church, and the central courtyard. In the final phase, the tourism reception area, landscaping, and environmental arrangements were completed.