Anhel, also known as Yemişli or Enhil, stood as one of the largest settlements in the Tur Abdin region. Located 10 kilometers south of Midyat on the route to Nisibin, the village featured significant religious infrastructure, including two Syriac Orthodox churches, Mor Quryaqos and Mor Eshayo, along with six smaller chapels. Although the village itself avoided direct assault, it effectively functioned as a confinement zone that swelled with displaced Syriac-Aramean refugees. Armed sentries guarded the perimeter, allowing refugees to enter while strictly prohibiting their exit.
Opportunities for escape were rare, and the inhabitants lived in constant anticipation of an eventual massacre. A local leader named Beso headed the Syriac-Aramean community during this precarious time. Reports suggest that Aziz Agha of the Mahmado clan in Midyat arranged this specific form of guarded enclosure. Militias lacked sufficient manpower to besiege both Iwardo and Anhel simultaneously. Consequently, they focused their aggression on Iwardo first; however, because they failed to conquer Iwardo, they never secured the opportunity to turn their forces against Anhel. Residents of Anhel covertly supported the resistance by smuggling salt, food, and weaponry to the defenders of Iwardo.
