Sayfo; Village of Hbob

Hbob: A Syriac Village's Resistance and Ruin During the Sayfo

The village of Hbob (also spelled Hebob or Ehwo) experienced significant events during the Sayfo, the Syriac genocide. Hbob is situated 25 kilometers southeast of Midyat. Before the massacres, it was home to 50 Syriac Orthodox families, though many had already moved to more defensible locations. The village had two Syriac churches, with Mor-Sargis-Mor-Bakos being particularly large and easily defensible, functioning like a fortress. Additionally, the Mor Eliyo monastery, built on a high hill and surrounded by sturdy walls, was located outside of Hbob.

As news of the massacres spread, the inhabitants of Hbob collected provisions and sought refuge in their churches. The Mor Eliyo Monastery also became a sanctuary for refugees from other villages and even from Midyat. Musa Asso from Midyat was chosen to lead the defense.

In early August, Kurdish tribes, including the Omariyan, Bunusra, Elyan, Apshe, and some Yezidis from their villages Mhuka, Dasekha, and Bajenne, surrounded the Hbob church and monastery. The battle lasted 15 days, and the attackers were unsuccessful.

The Syriacs managed to capture Hassan Hajo, one of the Kurdish leaders, along with some of his men. These captives were later released, leading the Kurds to lift their siege and during these battles, the Syriacs lost 4 men.

Villagers from Shelumiye, after being advised by their Kurdish chief Hasane Abes to flee, arrived in Hbob and remained there throughout the period of massacres. These refugees lived under difficult conditions, like prisoners, facing shortages of food and water, and enduring a widespread lice infestation, which resulted in half of them dying from typhus. 

After the Sayfo, those who returned to Shelumiye found their houses occupied by Kurds, and Syriac Christian women were forced into servitude. Syriac Christians generally became cheap laborers or slaves for the Kurds, with less attractive women being sold or killed. A comparison of household numbers shows that Hbob had 40 homes before the massacres but only 2 afterwards, indicating a drastic reduction in its population.

The events in Hbob illustrate a pattern of resistance where Syriac communities, though significantly reduced, sometimes managed to defend themselves for periods, albeit at great cost and often followed by displacement or continued persecution. Oral histories, such as those compiled by Süleyman Hinno, provide much of the detailed testimony regarding these events.