Mor Gabriel Monastery (Deyrulumur Monastery) is located 23 kilometers southeast of Midyat district. The monastery is one of the famous and great works of the Syriac Ancient Community. It was built on a high hill covered with oak trees. The foundations of the monastery were laid by Mor Şmuel and Mor Şemun in 397 and the building was completed in a short time. Additions were made inside and outside on different dates.
In the monastery, which became the Metropolitan Center in 615 and 1049, shelters and prayer places were built by Mor Şemun during the reign of King Arcadius (395-408). In the era of King Theodosius (408-450), the monument house where the sarcophagi would be placed, the Virgin Mary Church, the Church of the Messengers, the Kırkşehit Church, the Mor Şmuel Temple, the Theodora Dome, Mor Şlemun Temple were built due to the healing of the king’s daughter Theodora by Mor Şmuel.
Mor Gabriel Monastery – Mardin
Mor Gabriel Monastery is at least 400 years older than any monastery founded on Mount Athos, Greece. It is about 80 years before the Mor Saba Monastery in Palestine and one and a half centuries before the Mort Katherina Monastery in the Sinai region of Egypt.
The monastery has been called by different names from time to time in the historical process. In its early days, it was known as Mor Şmuel and Mor Şemun Monastery after the names of the founders. It is also known as Deyr-el Umur, which means “House of the Priests” and derived from the Syriac name “Dayro d’Umro”, and “Deyrulumur” with the Turkish adaptation of this expression. At the same time, Kartmin is also known as “Kartmin Monastery” due to its proximity to today’s Yayvantepe Village. The name “Mor Gabriel Monastery”, which is still used today, comes from the name of Turabdin Metropolitan Mor Gabriel (634-668).
Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism, “Mardin Introductory Booklet”, page: 50, Edition: Elma Basım Ltd. Sti. Istanbul, 2012.