Sayfo; Village of Gawoyto

Village of Gawoyto (Sari)

The village of Gawoyto is also known as Sari in Syriac and is located east of the city of Midyat. Ecclesiastical survey reports documented the presence of a structured Syriac Orthodox community. During the late nineteenth century, the village had one church, the Church of Mor Malke, which was served by three priests, Priest Shem'un, Priest Ishu', and Priest Malke, alongside many deacons and students, and a school. In the 1870 patriarchal register, there were about 47 Syriac Orthodox families in the village.

In 1841, the village of Gawoyto, along with the nearby Syriac village of Basibrin, was the target of an incursion by two emirs. These emirs, who commanded a force of Kurdish and local fighters, advanced toward Gawoyto but encountered significant resistance from the inhabitants. This resistance compelled the emirs to divert their military operations toward Midyat. One of these leaders, referred to as Mire Kor Ahmad, died shortly thereafter during clashes in the village of Kafarburan.

The most severe documented atrocities occurred during the Sayfo genocide between 1915 and 1924. During this time, the village of Gawoyto was besieged for several days after Ottoman soldiers were summoned by Kurdish bandit chiefs to take a local Syriac leader, Hanna Heido, into custody. The resulting violence led to the killing of 38 Syriac Orthodox relatives and neighbors of the leadership. Specific acts of brutality recorded during the attack include perpetrators slitting open the bellies of two pregnant women, causing their fetuses to be expelled. In addition to the casualties, eight residents were severely wounded, and the village was plundered of its herds, money, and personal possessions.

Following the cessation of general atrocities, many survivors from the Tur Abdin region emigrated to Syria, Lebanon, or Western Europe, leaving the village largely depopulated.