Tur-'Abdin Region

Tur-'Abdin Region

The name of these villages are what we were able to find in many list, large and small, of dioceses and town that were populated by Syriac people. The majority of them came from Patriarch Ignatius Aphram Barsoum and JM Fiey many publications. Most names have been changed to different Turkish names and some villages don't exist anymore or abandoned by the Syriac people. The list is arranged in an alphabetical order

• Abbase

• Abbo

• Afshi

• Agel: A small town north of Diyarbakir.

• Ahlah

• Ahmadi: A village in the district of Savur north of Mardin.

• Akko

• Akpinar: A village to the south of Diyarbakir.

• Alin

• Ali Bar: A village to the west of Diyarbekir.

• Anhil

• Antag

• Aprah

• Arabissus

• 'Arban

• Arbai

• Arbo: A village nowadays called Taskoy, located in the district of Nisibin in the provicne of Mardin.

• Arkah

• 'Armuna

• Arnas (Urdnas)

• Arsamosata: A village in the vicinity of Diyarbakir which was populated by Syriacs. It was destroyed in World War I.

• Aspharin: A town near Amid

• Ashit

• Atafeh (Atafiya)

• Awina

• Awlayn (or Ailene)

• 'Ayn Guza

• 'Ayn Kaf

• 'Ayn Luzo

• 'Ayn Wardo

• Azekh: A large ancient village in the province of Bazabdi (Beth Zabdai), about seven hours journey from Jazirat Ibn Umar. It is inhabited by Syriacs and was attached during Sayfo genocide events.

• Bafawa

• Bagdashiyya: A village near Kafrtüt, in the province of Mardin.

• Baget

• Bajçek

• Balan

• Bankalbo

• Baqsyan

• Barlet

• Baskil

• Bayaz

• Bazar

• Benebil

• Benkelbe

• Beth 'Andarki: A small village today called Yerköy located east of Nisibin

• Beth Balesh

• Beth Beshan

• Beth Dibbe (Ba Dibbe)

• Beth Diofo

• Beth Hasrakh (ruined)

• Beth Ishaq (Basaq)

• Beht Meskaya: A town south of lake Van

• Beth Min'am (Bani'mi): A village in Ṭūr‛Abdīn located in the district of Nisibin

• Beth Qustan

• Beth Qusyan

• Beth Rabo

• Beth Sharbaq

• Beth Sabrino (Basabrina): A small town located in Ṭūr‛Abdīn, today it is called Haberli 

• Beth Tabitha: A village about 12 miles east of Mardin

• Beth Zaghba

• Beth Zrizo (ruined)

• Bilits

• Bilo

• Bir Ardaite (Monastery of St. Barbara was located in this town)

• Bothe (Boti)

• Bozpinar

• Candia

• Celik

• Cyrrhus

• Çarukhiye Han: A village to the south of Diyarbakir

• Constantia: A town near Amid

• Ḍay‛ah al-Qāḍiyah

• Dafne (or Dafeneth)

• Dair Qube

• Dara: A town situated at the foot of the mountain between Nisibin and Mardin. Built in 506, it remained a seat of Syriac bishops until the middle of the twelfth century. Today it is an insignificant village.

• Dayro (or Osibeno)

• Dayro Daslibo (the Cross) in Beth El

• Dayro Kafen

• Dayro Nadib

• Dayro Qubo

• Debone

• Deli

• Derhab

• Diyarbakir

• Dufne

• Dugar

• Dunaysar: Situated south of Mardin, Dunaysar was a large town in the thirteenth century. Today it is a small village, called Koc Hisar, near Tell al-Arman.

• Enne

• Enorah

• Eragiza: An ancient town north of Beth Balesh

• Estel: A town very close to Midyat. Had a majority Syriac Christian population until the 17th century

• Eshtrako

• Fifyath

• Galak

• Garissa

• Gazarta

• Gerdahul

• Gerfashe

• Gerkeshamo

• Gombisho

• Gondek

• Gorno (ruined)

• Gozi

• Grebya

• Grimierah

• Gubos

• Habsnas (Habsus): A village currently called Mercimekli located west of Midyat.

• Hah

• Halhal: A village located in the district of Hazrō in the province of Diyarbakir.

• Halih

• Haniki: A small village located in the district of Nisibin in the province of Mardin.

• Harin: A village located about 5 miles south of Mardin.

• Harinkie

• Harnak Satya: A village to the east of Diyarbakir

• Hashrai: Near Mardin

• Hatlib

• Hawra (ruined, near Basibrina)

• Hbantho (ruined, near Basibrina)

• Hbob: A village in Ṭūr‛Abdīn located in the district of Nisibin in the province of Mardin.

• Helwa

• Herrin: a village south of Mardin.

• Heshterek (Ashtarka): A village about 17 km north-east of Midyat

• Hidel

• Hisno d'Kifo: A town and a great citadel overlooking the Tigris, between Amid and Jazirat Ibn 'Umar. Once the capital of a branch of the Ayyubid state until the beginning of the sixteenth century, it is now a small village.

• Hisno d'Shu'o

• Horbat Tlau

• Idhe Dawa

• Inglia: A town north of Amid. Bishops are attested in 451 and 553.

• Inner Esther

• Ironpolis

• Isfes: A village in the province of Bazabdi, one hour journey from Azekh.

• Ishtarkao (Heshtarke)

• Jarnaq

• Jazira, Upper (Diyar Rabi'a): A district between the rivers Khabur and Tigris. In ancient times it was the abode of the bani Taghlib, a large Arab tribe which was Syriac Orthodox and remained Christian until the tenth century. One of its members is the famous poet Ghiyath Ibn Ghawth, nicknamed al-Akhtal (c. 710). It became desolate in the fourteenth century, but was resettled about 1921. New towns such as Hasaka, Qamishli and others were built in it. It is presently called Cizre.

• Jazirat Ibn 'Umar: A town between Mosul and Diyarbakir, in a deep valley on the west bank of the Tigris.

• Ka'biya: A village to the south of Diyarbakir

• Kadi: A village to the north of Diyarbekir

• Kafashne

• Kafar 'Ala (Harapali): A village abuot 12 km south-west of Dayro d'Mor Gabriel and it might belonged to the monastery since the 6th century 

• Kafar Arab (belongs to Muhallamiyya)

• Kafar Bah (ruined)

• Kafar Be (the ancient Fafit): A village about 2 km east of Dayro d'Mor Gabriel

• Kafar Boran (or Karboran)

• Kafar Goza

• Kafar Gosan (belongs to Muhallamiyya)

• Kafar Hura

• Kafar Salta

• Kafar Sanji (or Kafsanj)

• Kafar Sham'a

• Kafar Shami

• Kafar Tuta: A town between Dara and Rish 'Ayna, southwest of Mardin; now only a village.

• Kafar Ze: A village about 8 km north-east of  Midyat

• Kaferfayo: A small village located east of Midyat.

• Kafryab

• Kafone

• Kafnas

• Kafra

• Kafro Elayto: A village north east of Midyat

• Kafro Tahtayto

• Kafshenne

• Kalasht (ruined)

• Kandarib

• Kara Kilisa: A village to the west of Diyarbekir

• Karsabak

• Karthito

• Kharaba Ali

• Kharaba Hanna

• Kharaba Kafra

• Kharaba Mashka

• Khazna

• Khirbet Shorish: A ruined village about 15 km north-east of Midyat

• Khwelta

• Kibak

• Klaybin: A village about seven hours' distance south of Mardin, heavily populated by Syriacs in the sixteenth century.

• Koshk

• Krobe Aleh

• Krobe Bane

• Krobe Kafra

• Krobe Mashke

• Laylan

• Lice

• Ma'adan: A town in the vicinity of Sherwan, in the province of Siirt; now a village.

• Ma'arre

• Mardin

• Ma'ren

• Maronopolos: A town near Amid. One bishop attested in 451.

• Ma'sarte

• Majdal: An ancient town near the river Khabur, below Rish 'Ayno. Yaqut al-Hamawi mentions a contemporary poet from this village.

• Malakbra

• Mansouriya

• Mari: A village in Ṭūr‛Abdīn located in the district of Nisibin.

• Marbap (Mor Bobo)

• Marcub

• Marwaniye

• Maskanah

• Masquq

• Mash tin (of Muhallamiyya)

• Miyapharqin: Also called Martyropolis

• Mazr'ah

• Mderib (of Muhallarniyya)

• Meddo

• Medras

• Medon

• Meshti

• Mharkan

• Midyat

• Mopsuestia

• Mzaizah

• Niksar: A town in Turkey, northeast of Tokat.

• Nisibin: A town in the Jazira, five days' journey from Mosul; today it is a small town. Nisibin is also the name of a village on the west bank of the Euphrates, west of Biricik, formerly known as the Byzantine Nisibin.

• Paneas

• Patrakia: A village to the north of Diyarbekir

• Qal'at al-Rum: An ancient fortified citadel and town west of the Euphrates, opposite al-Bira. The name of the citadel was Zughma.

• Qala'at Marra

• Qala'a d'Atto: A village 5 kilometers north of Mardin, on the way to Dayr al-Za‘farān.

• Qalinqala

• Qalith: A big village about a day's journey north from Mardin, heavily populated by Syrians.

• Qaluq: A town in the province of al-Sawr, populated by Syriacs until the middle of the seventeenth century.

• Qanqurt: A village to the west of Diyarbekir

• Qantareh

• Qarabash

• Qardo

• Qatrabal

• Qanaq: A village in the province of Nisibin

• Qarqaf

• Qariyah (ruined)

• Qarta: A village to the west of Diyarbekir

• Qartmin

• Qasro d'Fadddan

• Qawim: A village in the vicinity of Mardin, inhabited until 1635.

• Qlesura

• Qlanzo (ruined)

• Qrytho D'ito

• Qowal

• Qusur (al-Kawliyya): A village about two hours journey south of Mardin, heavily populated by Syriacs.

• Ra'ban: A town between Aleppo and Samosata, near the Euphrates, no longer in existence.

• Rish 'Ayno: A town located at the source of the River Khabur in the Jazira. It was settled in the thirteenth century, but laid to waste in 1869. It was later resettled by a Circassian tribe and then by Syriacs and Armenians, who built churches in it.

• Romaniya: A village in the Sawar district, populated by Syriacs until the end of the sixteenth century.

• Rudwan: A village northeast of Hisno d'Kifo.

• Rusin (ruined)

• Sa'adia: A village to the east of Diyarbakir

• Safah (ruined)

• Safta: A village to the east of Diyarbakir

• Salah

• Sandun

• Sansul (ruined)

• Sare: A village about 3 km south-east of Beth Sabrino

• Sari Awastir

• Sarug

• Sarwan (ancient town)

• Sawr (Sewur): A town in Tur-'Abdin.

• Semqa (Semqe): A village two hours journey northeast of Diyarbakir. It may be the village called Summaqli.

• Severek: A town in Tur-'Abdin

• Shafasne (ruined)

• Shafazno

• Shahirkan

• Shalhumiye

• Shamnoz

• Sharta

• Shiloh (ruined)

• Shufirnassa

• Shur (ruined)

• Sidre (ruined)

• Siirt

• Sigun

• Sivirek

• Sophene: Area south of Amid

• Tafe (or Tfe)

• Tafo

• Tamars

• Tell Aryawon

• Tell Bashme: A town in the district of Rish 'Ayno, northwest of Mardin.

• Tell d'Mauzalath (Mawzan): Once a flourishing town between Mardin and Edessa, about two leagues from Mardin. Today it is a small village called Wayran Shahr.

• Tell Hassan

• Tell Khas: A village to the east of Diyarbekir

• Tell Khatun

• Tell Jihan

• Tell Manar

• Tell Qbab: A village near Mardin; it had a substantial population in the thirteenth century.

• Tell Y'akoub

• Tell Sha'ir

• Tetho (ruined)

• Timarzah (ruined)

• Tinnis: An ancient city southwest of Port Sa'id, ruined in 1227.

• Tursqana (ruined)

• 'Urnus

• Upper Kafra Wara

• Urza Oghlu: A village to the south of Diyarbakir

• Uti

• Vologesocrete: A town near Amid

• Wastan: A town south of Lake Van in Turkey

• Yardo

• Zabdiqa

• Zarbo

• Zangan

• Zarnuqo

• Zaz: A town in Tur-'Abdine

• Zaynawrah

• Zdabdiqo (ruined)

• Zeugma

• Zinawra

• Zorto d-Zayto (ruined)