Mor Gabriel Monastery

Mor Gabriel - Deyrulumur - was founded in 397 and has functioned as a monastery, with interruptions, ever since, which puts it among the oldest working Christian monasteries anywhere. It is the seat of the Syriac Orthodox metropolitan of Tur Abdin and remains an active community with monks, nuns and students, running a school where Syriac is taught. The buildings run round courtyards on the open plateau: the main church with its apse mosaics of the sixth century, given by the emperor Anastasius and Theodora, the domed Theotokos church, the House of Saints where earlier community members are interred, and a vaulted refectory and cells, all in the local limestone. Visits are led by someone from the community and are short and structured. Services are held in Syriac, a living form of Aramaic. The setting is bare, hot plateau with vineyards and olive groves in the immediate grounds and very little else in view.

What you actually see

• The main church - sixth-century mosaics in the apse.
• The domed Theotokos church - the second church in the complex.
• The House of Saints - the burial chamber of the community.
• The plateau setting - bare Tur Abdin around the walls.

When to go

April to May and October to November; summers on the plateau are extreme. Visits run at set times and stop for services and during retreats.

Honest expectations

This is an active monastery, not a museum - visits are guided, short and on the community's terms, and photography is restricted. Dress modestly and cover shoulders and knees. A car is needed.

Nearby

Midyat is 20 km west; Mardin and Deyrulzafaran are further along the plateau.