Dayro d'Mor Abhai

Dayro d'Mor Abhai

The Monastery of Mor Abhay, near the village of Beth Manʿem, is an abandoned monastery located in the Tur 'Abdin region. It is described as a monument the size of a castle. Although its precise founding date is not clear, it is known to have existed as a functional monastery by 1484, as a book of services was copied for it in that year. 

The monastery's location in the village of Beth Manʿem is significant, as the village itself was listed by Anschütz as a new bishopric that emerged during a Church schism between 1000 and 1400 CE. This schism led to a period of decentralization within the Syriac Orthodox Church. The monastery continued to be an important ecclesiastical center, with mentions of its bishop appearing in 1723, 1749, 1841, and 1906. This suggests its continued relevance for several centuries.

Evidence from an inscription at the nearby Mor Gabriel Monastery indicates that at least three bishops of Tur 'Abdin between the mid-9th and late-11th centuries came from the village of Beth Manʿem. This highlights the village's—and by extension, the monastery's—role as a significant source of leadership for the Syriac Orthodox Church. The monastery also received a religious endowment of two mills from Metropolitan Youhanna. 

Wiessner, in his study of the monastery's church and surrounding structures, identified three distinct construction phases. The long room on the church's south side was built in a later phase than the church itself, and a room at the west end of that long room represents the latest addition. These different phases suggest that the monastery was in continuous use and underwent a series of expansions over time. 

Status: Abandoned in Ruins