Dayro d'Mor Youhannon Tayyoyo

Dayro d'Mor Youhannon Tayyoyo

This monastery is dedicated to Mor Youhannon, often referred to as Mor Youhannan the Arab, is deeply intertwined with the monastic tradition of Mount Izlo. According to his earliest known biography, this East Syrian saint was born in Hira and later educated at the school of Nisibin. While later traditions identify him as a disciple of Mor Awgin, the monastery bearing his name was likely founded in the 9th century, long after his passing. His origin in Hira earned him the epithet "Arab," a title that persists in various records identifying the site as Mar Yuhannon Tayyoyo.

Architecturally, the monastery presents a complex chronological puzzle. Although early scholars like Herzfeld and Guyer initially attributed the narthex dome to the 9th century based on its resemblance to Mor Awgin, modern research confirms that this structure actually dates to 1271. This date aligns with historical texts recording the restoration of Mor Awgin, which explicitly mention the monastery of Mor Youhannon. Other scholars, such as Monneret de Villard, argue that the church itself cannot be dated earlier than the 11th century. Today, the site remains in ruins on Mount Izla, with only the capitals of its colonnades still visible. Its design reflects a shared heritage with nearby spiritual centers, featuring apse conches that resemble those found in the Church of Yoldath Aloho at Hah and the East Syrian monastery of Mar Abraham of Kashkar.

The administrative and spiritual life of the monastery was historically linked to its "mother-monastery," Mor Awgin. Established by monks from that community, Mor Youhannon was governed by the same superior for centuries. Records from 1501 and 1607 continue to mention the site by name, and by the mid-18th century, it is believed to have been adopted by the Western Syriacs. By the 19th century, colophones collected by Patriarch Ignatius Aphram Barsaum highlight a continued strong connection between the two institutions, though the monastery’s prominence had faded significantly by 1864, when only a single priest was recorded as residing there. 

Status: Abandoned in ruins