Arameans

Aramean Talent Adrian Lahdo Signs with Club Como

New Midyat Project Seeks to Draw Syriac-Arameans Back to Tur Abdin

The Story of Hanne Safar and His Family

The Enduring Roots: Aramean Clan and Family Structures in Tur Abdin

The Society of the Arameans in the Ancient Era

The Murder of Ibrahim Shabo, the Last Aramean Mayor of Midyat

Aboud Zazi – Izla Shafirto

Rozune—Coin in the Bread

King Abgar V of Edessa and the Letter to Christ

Tlawhe—Aramean Lentil Soup

Cuisine

Music

Dances

Traditional garments and embroidery motifs that show the region, celebration, and community pride.

Clothing

Arts and Crafts

Traditions

Religion

Identity

Ancient history

Modern history

Syriac history

History

Language

Biographies

Sayfo

Gabola—Aramean Wheat Porridge Dish

Basle am Behe—Chives with Eggs

Labaniye—Aramean Yoghurt Soup

Audio

Ninib Lahdo – Gerke Shamo

Ninib Lahdo – Bi Hubo Nafilina

Jan Karat – Durina lu Athro

Video

Telkari: Aramean Art Form of Making Delicate Jewelry

Faith and Tradition

Hano Qritho: A Little Spring of Joy Before the Great Fast

Syriac Orthodoxy or Assyrian Orthodoxy in North America and the USA?

Native Aramean Population of Tur Abdin

Modern Assyrian Identity Revival

Arameans in Germany

Ancient Syria & Anatolia: Aramean Mythology, Religion & Traditions

Ancient DNA from the Halzi Gate (612 BC) Confirms Aramean Continuity in Mesopotamia and What It Means for Modern Arameans

Ancient Aramean Laws and the Origins of Justice in the Ancient Near East

Syriac-Aramean Battle for Azakh During Sayfo

Syriac-Aramean Village of Arnes During Sayfo

Syriac-Aramean Village of Armun During Sayfo

Syriac-Aramean Village of Arkah During Sayfo

"In the intellectual life and literature of the Sassanid era the main characteristic is the complete disappearance of Hellenism and the Greek language. Ardashir L. and Shapur I. still appended Greek translations to some of their inscriptions; but all of later date are drawn up in Pahlavi alone. The coins invariably bear a Pahlavi legend on the obverse the king's head with his name and title; on the reverse, a fire-altar (generally with the ascription "fire of Ardashir, Shapur, &amp;c.," ie the fire of the royal palace), and the name of the place of coinage, usually abbreviated. The real missionaries of culture in the empire were the Aramaeans (Syrians), who were connected with the West by their Christianity, and in their translations diffused Greek literature through the Orient."

Aramean Missionaries

"And among the Greeks and among us, this is indeed the very name as it is expressed; but among the Hebrews, it is properly rendered as: 'I am Yéhyéh; Yéhyéh has sent me to you.' And it is translated into our language—that is, that of us Arameans, who are Syriacs—as 'the Being.'

Indeed, we find that our holy Syriac teachers—Mor Ephrem, Mor Jacob, Mor Isaac, and Mor Philoxenus—also constantly call God by this name, saying 'the great Being,' 'the hidden Being.' Likewise, we find that the holy Greek teachers also consider it proper to use this name above all others when speaking of God, in preference to other names."

Arameans and the Name of God

Mor Dionysius Abdelnur of Urhoy, Bishop of Kharput, remarked that the scholars from the monastery of Mor Barsawmo "adorned the nation of the Arameans with splendor."

“Lament on the Destruction of the Monastery of Mar Barsauma near Malatya” by Mor Dionysios ‘Abd an-Nur is a mourning text that reflects on the ruin of one of the most important Syriac Orthodox monasteries. It likely combines grief over the monastery’s physical destruction with praise for its past role as a major center of learning, spirituality, and leadership in the Syriac/Aramean tradition.

Adorning the Aramean Nation

"Aram, from whom sprung the Syriacs, whose Name anciently was Aramei; the Children of Aram. A Name not unknown to the ancient Grecians; for Homer mentions the Αερμις in his second Book of Iliads; and so doth Hesiod; and Strabo also saith, that many understood by the Arimi, the Syriacs. And the Syriacs at this day call themselves Arameans."

17th-Century Syriacs

A glimpse into a cherished moment from 1974–1977: the wedding of Sabri and Aznif Elma dBe Barsaumo in the village of Beth Debe (Badibe). Villagers gathered together in joy and celebration, sharing laughter, music, and tradition. The sound of the kemence filled the air as people came together in happiness, preserving a timeless expression of Aramean culture, unity, and love.

Be Barsaumo Wedding in Badibe

In 1965, Patriarch Ignatius Yaʿqub III visited the greater Tur Abdin. At the Saffron Monastery, he is seen with prominent archpriests of the region: standing with him are Khuroyo Samuel Ezber, Khuroyo Malke Afram Arboyo of Qamishli, and Khuroyo Numan Aydin of Midyat; seated are Khuroyo Aho Badiboyo of Sederi and Khuroyo Malke Badiboyo.

Patriarchal and clergymen of Tur Abdin, 1965

Festive gatherings in Beth Debe, Tur Izlo, Tur Abdin, 1970s. Aramean men share a communal feast, while another image shows a large group of men and boys gathered in the village, reflecting community and tradition.

Festive Gatherings in Beth Debe

Liturgy at the Mother of God Syriac Orthodox Church, attended by the Aramean community of Beth Debe, Tur Izlo region, 1970s. The scene shows a priest and deacons leading the service, with men gathered at the front and women standing at the back.

Liturgy at Beth Debe, 1970s

"And Jacob stole the heart of Laban the Aramean, because he told him not that he was going." Greek: Jacob, however, hid his heart from Laban the Syriac."

Bar Hebraeus records “Laban the Aramean” in the Syriac Peshitta and gives the Greek equivalent “the Syriac,” expressed in Aramaic as “Suryoyo,” treating the two as synonymous.

Laban the Aramean Rendered Suryoyo

Mor Jacob of Edessa (c. 684–9, 708) was one of the greatest Syriac Orthodox scholars, bishops, and biblical commentators. Born in ʿEn Deba, Antioch, he studied at the Monastery of Qenneshre and in Alexandria, mastering Greek and Syriac. Appointed Bishop of Edessa around 684, he resigned after a few years due to disagreements over canon law, famously burning a copy of the canons in protest.

Mor Jacob of Edessa

“Heaven (shmayo), and all that we call ‘heaven’ (shmayo), is not of our speech, of us Arameans, that is, the language of Mesopotamians. And it is not from our language and speech, but is borrowed and taken for us from the language of the Hebrews.”

Saint Jacob of Edessa identifies himself as an Aramean and sees Arameans being Mesopotamians. He claimed that the word “heaven” (shmayo) is a loanword.

We Arameans and Borrowed Language