Dayro d'Yoldath Aloho d'Notfo

Dayro d'Yoldath Aloho d'Notfo

The Monastery of the Virgin and St. Theodore, also known as Dayro d-Notfo or the Dripping Monastery, is a small, rock-cut monastery on Mount Hazro, a mountain overlooking the Dayr al-Zaʿfaran Monastery. Its unique name comes from the water that constantly drips from the cave's ceiling into a rock-cut pool.

The monastery was built in the name of the Virgin Mary and St. Theodore. According to some scholars, this association may point to a connection with Nisibin, as two churches in that city, built in 700, were dedicated to the same saints. This could suggest that monks who were forced to leave Nisibin may have settled here.

The monastery has been a notable religious site since at least the 14th century. It was occasionally administered by a bishop and housed a community of monks, including a group of eight in 1443. The monastery raised seven bishops and was the residence of Bishop Dolabani for fifteen years after he became a monk in 1908. Monk Saeed also constructed two rooms in the monastery in 1905.

During this period, Islamic-style decoration elements began to appear in some TurʿAbdin monasteries, including this one. The monastery, which consisted of a few small cells and two churches, was active until the 1930s and supported itself with revenues from the nearby village of Qala‘at Marra . It was officially abandoned around 1927.

Status: Abandoned