Dayro d'Qarqafta

Dayro d'Qarqafta 

The Qarqafta Monastery, a Syriac Orthodox monastery, was also known as the Paddle Monastery, it is located in the upper Jazira region, between Rish 'Ayno and Majdal. The monastery was founded by Mor Sham'oun possibly around 635 AD, and gained prominence at the beginning of the 8th century.

By the mid-10th century, many bishops studied and graduated from it. The monastery and its inhabitants faced a major tragedy in 635 AD when Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab dispatched Sa'ad Ibn Abi Waqqas to the area. After being informed that monks were spying for the Byzantine army, a great number of venerable ascetics and monks, including those from Qarqafta, were massacred. Those who escaped the massacre fled in different directions. Some moved to the neighborhood of al-Raqqa, where they enlarged a church built by Empress Theodora, renamed it the Pillar Monastery, and inhabited it. Others fled to the western bank of the Balikh river and built the Beth Rishir Monastery, named after their superior. The monastery also had a notable graduate, the chronicler-priest Thomas, in 636 AD.

The Qarqafta Monastery was a major educational center and famous for philological studies in the beginning of the ninth century and stayed a center of learning until it's eventual demise. studied in this this monastery. It also produced numerous distinguished metropolitans and bishops, demonstrating its standing within the Syriac Orthodox Church. These include:

• Yohannon: Metropolitan of Edessa from 759–762, who was known for his strictness.

• Yohannon: The 73rd bishop ordained by Patriarch Qyriaqus.

• Anastasios: Metropolitan of Anazarba.

• Johannes: Bishop of Arabia.

• Timotheus: Bishop of Sjtien, who was ordained by Dionysius of Tell Mahre.

• Johannes: Bishop of Negd and Medina, consecrated as the 13th bishop by Patriarch Basilius I (935–936).

• The Metropolitan of Samosata 

The monastery's legacy is defined by its contributions to the preservation of the West Syrian Masora and the education of a new generation of clergy. The monks' work on vocalizing the Bible was modeled after the biblical preparations of Jacob of Edessa around 705 AD. The monastery also housed a library with a vast collection of manuscripts covering various literary works, further solidifying its role as a hub of knowledge and learning. The Metropolitan of Amida, Theodotus, was also associated with the monastery.

Status: Abandoned in ruins