Sayfo; Town of Miyafarqin

Town of Miyafarqin

The town of Miyafarqin (Silvan in Turkish) is located east of the city of Diyarbakir and was historically positioned as a central hub between Ras al-Ayn and Nisibin. During the reconstruction of the region by Emperor Constantius II, Miyafarqin was identified as a significant locale within the broader administrative and defensive framework of the Tigris frontier. The town functioned as a seat for the Syriac Orthodox clergy and served as a religious center for the surrounding districts. During the Bedir Khan massacres of 1842 to 1846, the region of Tur Abdin, which included Miyafarqin within its broader sphere of influence, suffered from Kurdish tribal advances that weakened the Syriac population, though specific casualty identification in the town itself is not available. In the nineteenth century, the town supported a population of Armenians, Syriacs, and Protestants who maintained established churches and ecclesiastical properties.

The Hamidian Massacres of 1895 to 1897 marked a significant era of atrocities in Miyafarqin. On November 1, 1895, a coordinated attack was launched against the town’s Christian population, which then numbered approximately 3,000 individuals across the Armenian, Syriac, and Protestant denominations. The perpetrators, identified as Kurdish tribes and local Turks, initiated a massacre that resulted in the near-total liquidation of the Christian inhabitants. A major church in town, the Church of Mar Marutha, was set on fire with approximately 700 people inside, and most perished in the flames. Only 15 individuals, including three women, are recorded to have survived the massacre. One survivor, Elias Moro, is documented as having escaped death by converting to Islam.

During the Sayfo or Syriac Genocide from 1915 to 1924, Miyafarqin was the site of further systemic killings. The Ottoman Army and Kurdish groups acted as the primary perpetrators, often following the administrative orders of the provincial leadership in Diyarbekir. A specific event recorded involves the capture of a group of Christian men and their priest by Ottoman soldiers. As they were led to a hill to be executed, the priest asked to pray one last time and placed soil in the mouths of his congregation as a substitute for Holy Communion, given that bread was unavailable. The men were subsequently murdered and thrown into a well. This account was later relayed by a Kurdish former soldier to the Chaldean bishop Timotheos.

The population figures for the town reflect a steady decline due to the repetitive cycles of violence, forced conversion, and displacement. Survivors of the various atrocities often relocated to neighboring regions such as Syria and Lebanon. By the end of the Ottoman period, the presence of the Syriac community in the area had shrunk dramatically, leaving only ruins of many former sacred sites.