Mount Izla ( Syriac : ܛܘܪ ܐܝܙܠܐ Ṭūr Īzlā' ), also Mountain of Nisibis or briefly in the 9th century Mount Kashyari , is a low mountain or ridge near Nisibis in what once a part of Assyria , then Sassanid Persian province of Asoristan , but is now southeastern Turkey , along the border with Syria . The ridge is the location of dozens of ancient monasteries which were built by the Assyrian Church of the East and Syriac Orthodox Church in the early centuries of Eastern Rite Christianity. In modern times, all of the monasteries are in ruins except for that of Mar Melke reconsecrated in the 1930s, Mor Yakub Monastery , founded in Dibek in 2012–2013, and the Monastery of Mor Augin which was refounded in 2008 after being abandoned in the 70's.
16-492: Though called a mountain, it is actually a 77-kilometre-long (48 mi) ridge running from east to west, with a plateau on the northern (Turkey) side, and a plain on the southern (Syria) side. One end of the ridge is Dara , a Roman fortification. On the other is Serwan ( Sisaranon ), the location of the Castle of Tur Abdin , which was built by Constantius II in the 4th century. Early monasteries, believed to have been founded in
32-736: A multiple Catholic titular see . Today, the village of Dara , in the Mardin Province occupies its location. During the Anastasian War in 502–506, the Roman armies fared poorly against the Sassanid Persians . According to the Syriac Chronicle of Zacharias of Mytilene , the Roman generals blamed their difficulties on the lack of a strong base in the area, as opposed to the Persians, who held
48-644: A prolific theologian. In the 10th century, Syriac Orthodox Diocese of Dara lost its Metropolitan rank, which passed to its former suffragan Rhesaina . No longer a residential bishopric, Dara is now listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see , both Latin and in particular for the Syriac Catholic Church , which, though of the West Syriac Rite , is in full communion with the Holy See . The diocese
64-468: A tributary of the Euphrates . The town of Dara was situated upon its banks. Justinian 's engineers diverted the river towards the city by digging a canal. The river now flowed through the city, ensuring ample water supply. At the same time, by means of diverting its flow to an underground channel which exited 65 km (40 mi) to the north, Dara's garrison was able to deny water to a besieging enemy,
80-583: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Dara (Mesopotamia) Dara or Daras ( Turkish : Dara Antik Kenti; Kurdish : Darê; Greek : Δάρας ; Syriac : ܕܪܐ ) was an important East Roman fortress city in northern Mesopotamia on the border with the Sassanid Empire . Because of its great strategic importance, it featured prominently in the Roman-Persian conflicts (in 530 , 540, 544, 573 , and 604). The former archbishopric remains
96-759: The 4th century, are Mar Awgin, Mar Malke , and Mar Samuel. The next was the most famous, Mar Abraham of Kashkar , also known as the Great Monastery, which was founded in the latter part of the 6th century by the Assyrian Church of the East . Later monasteries included that of Rabban Sapra, Mar Yaret, Mar Khudahwi, Za'faran ( Saffron ), Mar Yohannan, and Mar Ya'qob. At its peak, there were approximately 40,000 monks on Mt. Izla. 37°20′00″N 41°10′00″E / 37.33333°N 41.16667°E / 37.33333; 41.16667 This Christianity -related article
112-629: The Syriacs, or just Dara in Curiate Italian). It has had the following incumbents, of both the lowest (episcopal) and intermediary (archiepiscopal) ranks : Primary sources Secondary sources Arch dam External links Cordes (river) Cordes ( Ancient Greek : Κόρδης ) was a small stream of Mesopotamia which rose in the Mons Masius , and was a tributary of the Chaboras , itself
128-529: The great city of Nisibis (which until its cession in 363 had served the same purpose for the Romans). Therefore, in 505, while the Persian King Kavadh I was distracted in the East, Emperor Anastasius I decided to rebuild the village of Dara, only 18 kilometres westwards from Nisibis and just 5 km from the actual border with Persia, to be "a refuge for the army in which they might rest, and for
144-497: The inner wall raised by a new storey, doubling its height to about 20 m (66 ft). The towers were strengthened and raised to three stories (ca. 35 m) high, and a moat dug out and filled with water. Justinian's engineers also diverted the nearby river Cordes towards the city by digging a canal. The river now flowed through the city, ensuring ample water supply. At the same time, by means of diverting its flow to an underground channel which exited 65 km (40 mi) to
160-460: The north, the garrison was able to deny water to a besieging enemy, a fact which saved the city on several occasions. To avert the danger of flooding, which had already once wrecked large parts of the city, an elaborate arch dam was built to contain it, one of the earliest known of its kind. In addition, barracks were built for the garrison, and two new churches were constructed, the "Great Church", and one dedicated to St Bartholomew . The city
176-481: The preparation of weapons, and to guard the country of the Arabs from the inroads of the Persians and Saracens ". Masons and workers from all over Mesopotamia were gathered and worked with great haste. The new city was built on three hills, on the highest of which stood the citadel, and endowed with great storehouses, a public bath and water cisterns . It took the name Anastasiopolis ( Greek : Ἀναστασιούπολις ) and became
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#1732845285922192-405: The seat of the Roman dux Mesopotamiae . According to Procopius , the hasty construction of the original walls resulted in poor quality, and the severe weather conditions of the region exacerbated the problem, ruining some sections. Thus Byzantine Emperor Justinian I was compelled to undertake extensive repairs to the city, afterwards renaming it Iustiniana Nova . The walls were rebuilt and
208-487: The site of massacre during the Armenian genocide . According to some reports, the cisterns were filled with the bodies of slaughtered Armenians from Diyarbakır , Mardin , and Erzurum in the spring and summer of 1915. The new city became the seat of a Christian bishop and was at first a Metropolitan see , with three suffragans : Rhesaina (also called Theodosiopolis), Rhandus and Nasala . Its first known bishop
224-520: Was Eutychianus, who took possession in 506. His successor, Thomas, was deposed in 519 for his opposition to the Council of Chalcedon and died in 540. Mamas was removed in 537. Stephanus took part in the Second Council of Constantinople in 553. After the 7th-century Arab conquest , Dara again became the seat of Jacobite (Syriac Orthodox) bishops. Between 825 and 860, the archbishop was John of Dara ,
240-648: Was later besieged and captured by the Persians under Khosrau I in 573–574, but was returned to the Romans by Khosrau II after the Roman-Persian treaty in 591. It was taken again by Khosrau II in 604–05 after a nine-month siege, recovered again for the Roman Empire by Heraclius . Finally captured in 639 by the Arab Muslims, the city then lost its military significance, declined and was eventually abandoned. Dara became
256-576: Was nominally restored in the 15th century as the Latin Catholic titular bishopric of Dara. As such, it has the following incumbents, all of the lowest (episcopal) rank : In 1925 it was renamed and Promoted as Metropolitan Titular archbishopric of Dara. It has been vacant for decades, having had the following incumbents of that (highest) rank : Established as Titular bishopric of Anastasiopolis , suppressed without incumbent, restored in 1979 as titular bishopric of Dara Syrorum (Dara of
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