Mor Gabriel Monastery

The Monastery of Saint Gabriel (Syriac: ܕܝܪܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܓܒܪܐܝܠ; Dayro d-Mor Gabriel), also known as Monastery of Qartmin, Deir el-ʿUmr, Deyrulumur, and in Turkish, Mor Gabriel Manastırı, is a Syriac Orthodox monastery located near Midyat in the Tur Abdin region of southeastern Turkey. Founded in 397 AD by the ascetics Mor Shmuel of Qartmin and Mor Shemʿun of Qartmin, it is one of the oldest surviving Assyrian monasteries in the world and one of the oldest continuously active Christian monasteries in existence. The monastery has elaborate decorations that have been added over the centuries, starting when the location served as a Zoroastrian temple and continuing to this day. It comprises several structures, including the main church, the Dome of Theodora, a mausoleum, and other buildings; it also houses the relics of its namesake, Gabriel of Beth Qustan. The monastery remains a popular pilgrimage site and functions as a religious and social centre for the remaining Christian Assyrians. Throughout its history, it has served for centuries as a major centre of Syriac monasticism, theology and cultural preservation for the Syriac‑speaking Christian community. From Turco‑Mongol raids, to Byzantine imperial persecution, to contemporary land and legal disputes with the Turkish state, it has endured many periods of conflict and persecution, yet survives today as a monastic centre; legal disputes brought by the Turkish state and local Kurdish authorities against the indigenous community, however, are ongoing. The monastery currently serves as the seat of the metropolitan of Tur Abdin.