Sayfo; Village of Salih

Village of Salih

The village of Salih, also referred to as Salah, is situated within the Tur Abdin region approximately 8 kilometers north of the town of Midyat. Salah wis recognized as a central location within the region, leading Emperor Constantius II to construct a great fortress there to serve as a refuge for inhabitants against raids by the Persian army. The village served as a significant ecclesiastical center, particularly as the site of the ancient Dayro d’Mor Ya’koub Hbishoyo (The Recluse). Metropolitan Habib of Salah governed the diocese from 1495 until 1504. In 1583, the metropolitan Iliya was ordained for Salah by Patriarch Dawud Shah. The late seventeenth century saw the leadership of Gregorius Dimet, who was ordained for Jerusalem in 1691 but eventually settled in Mardin, followed by Gregorius Simon II, who served from 1693 until 1718. While specific large-scale massacres are less documented for Salih in this specific window, the region faced continuous instability from Kurdish and Persian border raids. The ecclesiastical history of Salih continued through the service of Philoxenus Jacob, a monk from the Monastery of Mar Jacob who served as a metropolitan and patriarchal deputy. General regional reports indicate that the water scarcity in Tur Abdin forced inhabitants to depend on rain stored in cisterns, making agricultural settlements like Salah vulnerable during periods of local warfare and drought.

During the Bedir Khan massacres between 1842 and 1846, Salih, being in close proximity to Midyat, was affected by the general campaign of extermination led by Kurdish forces against the Christian population in the mountains. These attacks resulted in the destruction of property and the killing of numerous men, women, and children across Tur Abdin.

In 1853, the Monastery of Mar Ya'koub in Salih was inhabited by Abbot Rabban Isaiah and several monks, including three individuals named Yusuf and others named Barsoum, Abd al-Ahad, and Dawud. In 1855, Kurdish lords Izz al-Din Sher and Mas'ud Beg of the Bakhtis attacked the land. They destroyed the village church and killed four priests and monks alongside many Syriac Christian laypeople. The survivors were eventually able to return and rebuild their churches after Qurqali Pasha intervened and defeated the Kurdish forces.

During the Hamidian Massacres between 1895 and 1897, the Syriac heartland around Mardin and Midyat was devastated by Kurdish tribes and Ottoman paramilitary forces. Villages were ruined, and many families were forced to find asylum inside monasteries to escape the violence. The religious leadership in Salah continued to provide spiritual support, though the population suffered from the widespread looting of agricultural assets and the destruction of homes.

Before the 1915 attacks, Salih was home to 40 Syriac Orthodox families. On July 3, 1915, the village was surrounded by Ottoman soldiers and Kurdish clans. The attack was instigated by Bashir Bey, the new kaymakam of Midyat. The Syriac Christians attempted to defend themselves but were overpowered and killed in their homes. Specific atrocities included the killing of the mukhtar, Use, who was beaten to death by officials in front of the villagers, and two other residents, Filo and Isa, who were killed by Kurds after their rifles were seized. Survivors fled to Ayn Wardo, Bote, and Midyat. The Ottoman government subsequently settled Muslim refugees displaced from Russia in the vacated houses of the Christians. Between 1916 and 1917, some surviving Syriac families attempted to return but faced violent conflicts with the Kurdish occupants. In 1924, many of the remaining Syriacs in the region were subject to further deportations.