Syriac Prayer in 5th century Monastery in Mardin, Turkey - 1

[konig82]

Somebody please can tell me what language is it?

Is it Armenian or Greek monastery?

[nhraim]

Hi, you can read the answer to your question in the title...

Syriac is a dialect of the Aramean, the language Jesus Christ spoke on earth.

It is not an Armenian nor a Greek monastery, it's a Syriac Orthodox monastery in South Eastern Turkey.

[konig82]

Thank you for the answer! How many are the christian syriacs? Is there any official religion in the country? Or both christianism and islamism?

[nhraim]

Numbers are far from being exact. According to SIL Ethnologue on Turkey (Asia), there are some 15 000 Assyrians (Syriac-Assyrians-Chaldeans) in Turkey.

As you can see, they represent a tiny portion of the population in Turkey, which is predominantly Muslim.

[konig82]

Thank you!

I am invited in Mardin on August, but Im thinking very seriously if I should go or not. I know that is nice city. But I know that are many troubles there.

Is it true that turkish army some months ago invaded a part of Syria? Are there often troubles between Turks and Kurds in the region?

[nhraim]

Hi, you're welcome.

If you ask me, you should go!

Turkish army never invaded Syria, it sent some helicopters to Iraq to track and bomb some Kurdish guerrilla positions. That is in the far East part of the country where it meets Iraq (Far from Mardin)

Now, There are problems between Kurds and Turks but not where Mardin is. Mardin is really Peaceful, even when you go to Midyat (a city 100km east of Mardin) there are no problems.

Make sure to go and sleep at the monasteries, so welcoming.

Elias

[konig82]

Thank you very much for your information! The friend that invited me in Mardin is kurd, from Batman. You think that I can sleep in the monastery? Christian monastery? I dont know if the muslims have monasterys...

Are you living near Mardin? Should be an amazing area. For me, these places and these landscapes are like home. Because, as Greek, Im child of Byzantine Empire.

[Andrewville1]

Very very interesting! God bless Christians in Turkey!