  Location within TurkeyShow map of Turkey Mor Loʿozor Monastery (Near East)Show map of Near East | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Denomination | Syriac Orthodox |
| Dedicated to | Mor Loʿozor |
| Site | |
| Location | Near Mardin, Turkey |
| Coordinates | 37°28′21″N 41°20′13″E / 37.47250°N 41.33694°E / 37.47250; 41.33694 |
| Public access | yes |
The Mor Loʿozor Monastery was a Syriac Orthodox monastery in the vicinity of Mercimekli, the ancient Habsenas, in the Tur Abdin.
History
The monastery was named after Mor Lazarus the Edessan of Harran, who was an ascetic in the fourth century. There are two conflicting narratives regarding its foundation. According to the first, the monastery was founded by Mor Lazarus, who was at the time the bishop of Harran, while according to the second, it was founded by Mor Shemʿun d-Zaite (Shim'un Zaytuni), who translated the bones of Mor Lazarus into the monastery.
The monastery was located only around 300 meters from the village of Habsenas, indicating the close relation between the villagers and the monastery. The monastery seems to have continued stylite practices in the eight century, after the region had fallen under Islamic rule after 640, making it unique.
The monk Sergius of Hah created a copy of the Prayer Book of Monks at the monastery of Mor Loʿozor around the year 1500.
Architecture
The monastery has a square plan, with structures in the west, north and east, and is surrounded by a three meter high wall. Its most distinguishing feature is the seclusion tower in the middle of the courtyard, which, though the upper section has collapsed, still is about seven meters high. This matches with the description of the vita of Shem'un, though the inscribed construction date does not match with the vita and might therefore have been built in the place of Shem'un's tower.
Present state
The monastery has been abandoned and has been partially vandalised, including graffiti as well as illegal excavations. The deterioration of the building could result in the loss of the seclusion tower, the last surviving sample in the region.
The monastery is tentatively listed with other Late Antique and Medieval Churches and Monasteries of Midyat and Surrounding Area (Tur ʿAbdin) by UNESCO since 2021.
References
- ^ Barsoum 2008, p. 20.
- ^ Barış 2022, p. 66.
- Kayaalp 2021, pp. 157–158.
- ^ "Late Antique and Medieval Churches and Monasteries of Midyat and Surrounding Area (Tur ʿAbdin)". whc.unesco.org. UNESCO.
- "Prayer Book of Monks". Department of Syriac Studies. 7 November 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- ^ Barış 2022, p. 67.
- "Turkey Nominates Assyrian Monasteries to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List". www.aina.org. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
Bibliography
- Barış, Altan (January 2022). Kayaalp, Elif Keser (ed.). Syriac Architectural Heritage at Risk in TurʿAbdin (PDF). Association for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. ISBN 978-605-06335-9-7. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- Barsoum, Aphrem (2008). Moosa, Matti (ed.). The History of Tur Abdin. New Jersey: Gorgias Press. p. 20. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- Kayaalp, Elif Keser (2021). Church Architecture of Late Antique Northern Mesopotamia. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-886493-6. Retrieved 14 January 2025.