Dayro d'Mor Sergius and d'Mor Bachus

Dayro d'Mor Sergius and d'Mor Bachus

The Monastery of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus is an abandoned monastery located in the city of Hah in Tur Abdin, approximately 1,000 steps to the north-northwest. Hah, a Roman military fort (castrum), is located about 30 km from the city of Midyat. It is believed that the remains of the monastery and a church are under a pile of stones near Hah.

The founding of the monastery remains a mystery, and its age is difficult to determine with certainty. Some sources, such as an anonymous memra (poetic discourse) on Mor Mattai from the 18th century, suggest that Mor Mattai received his first lessons at a monastery of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus. However, it's not confirmed if this refers to the one in Hah. If it did, the monastery would have to have been founded before Mor Mattai's death in 311, which is highly unlikely. As the saints Sergius and Bacchus are widely revered by Syriac Christians, there are many monasteries named after them

A more plausible historical reference comes from a memra by the monk Zaitun Nehlaya. This document reports that Mor Gabriel, who would later become abbot of the Qartamin Monastery, sought refuge at the monastery of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus in Hah at the age of twelve. Since Gabriel was born in 593, he would have arrived at the monastery around 605, where he stayed for seven years under the tutelage of Abbot Gurg. This places the monastery's existence and the leadership of Abbot Georg around 600 AD.

The Monastery of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus was a notable center of learning and produced several important clerics for the Syriac Orthodox Church:

• Theodosius: The Bishop of Mar'ash, ordained by Patriarch Yohannon VII (965-985).

• Athanasius: The Bishop of Tarsus, ordained by Patriarch Yohannon VIII (1004-1030).

Status: In ruin