The Mor Gabriel Monastery in Tur Abdin, one of the oldest active monasteries in the world and among the most important spiritual centers of the Aramean/Syriac Orthodox people, is facing a serious threat concerning two historic monastery land areas that were registered by the Turkish state in 2008 as “forest land.”
The first disputed land area consists of land both inside and outside the monastery’s outer walls and covers approximately 276,000 square meters. The second area is a vineyard located outside the monastery walls and covers 12,301 square meters. These lands are considered extremely valuable to Mor Gabriel Monastery and to the continued Aramean/Syriac Christian presence in Tur Abdin.
According to Turkish forest land laws, even people or institutions with historical rights to such land are not allowed to fully use or control it once it is classified as forest land. The state has now reportedly decided to sell these lands and has placed them on sale for approximately €250,000.
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If wealthy outside buyers purchase the lands, it would represent a major loss for Mor Gabriel Monastery and a grave injustice against the Aramean people and their historical heritage in Tur Abdin. Members of the Aramean/Syriac community who are financially capable are therefore being urged to help secure the lands so they remain connected to the monastery and continue serving future generations of the Aramean/Syriac Orthodox people and Church.
Founded in 397 AD near the village of Qartmin in Tur Abdin, Mor Gabriel Monastery has served for more than 1,600 years as a center of Aramean/Syriac Christianity, monastic life, theology, education, and cultural preservation. The monastery became the seat of bishops and patriarchs, housed hundreds of monks throughout its history, and remains today a major religious and cultural symbol for Arameans/Syriacs worldwide. It is widely regarded as the heart of Syriac Orthodox Christianity in Tur Abdin and has survived centuries of invasions, massacres, persecution, and legal disputes.
Mor Gabriel Monastery has faced repeated persecution throughout its history. During the Sayfo Genocide of 1915, monks and refugees sheltered inside the monastery were massacred, and the monastery itself was occupied for several years before eventually returning to the Syriac Orthodox Church. In modern decades, the monastery has also faced numerous land disputes and legal battles connected to surrounding villages and Turkish state authorities.
