The Saffron Monastery
Alternative names: Monastery of St Ananias, Deyro d-Kurkmo
The beautiful monastery at Deyrulzafaran near Mardin was built in 495 on a site originally used by sun worshippers – their slab-ceilinged temple still exists beneath the monastery. From 1160 to 1932 it was the seat of the Syriac Orthodox patriarch, now removed to Damascus; the church contains the throne of the patriarch while the undercroft contains the tombs of many past patriarchs who were buried on their thrones as well as some of the enclosed horse-drawn biers that carried them to their last resting place. Incoming patriarchs were inducted in an upstairs room and regarded themselves as the successors of St Peter just as much as the Pope.
The monastery Church of the Mother of God, to one side of a courtyard centred on a well and ringed with porticoes, is surprisingly small but very atmospheric. It dates back to the early 6th, as does the Beth Kadishe (funerary chapel). The altar only dates back to 1941 but is covered with a wooden canopy of traditional Tur Abdin design. Some of the painted wall hangings were created by members of the Mardinli Şimmeshindi family.
The monastery was rebuilt under the supervision of a bishop named Ananias at the end of the 8th century. The exterior seen by visitors as they approach was built much later in the 19th century.
Recipient of an EU grant for a snazzy visitor centre, Deyrulzafaran is today a far happier place than it was in the 1990s when it was stranded in the middle of troubled land.
It would be nice to think that you could attend a service and listen to the sound of Aramaic being spoken since this is believed to have been the language spoken by Jesus. Unfortunately visitors other than tourists don’t appear to be very welcome. Even the compulsory guided tours are a rushed affair.
The visitor centre offers a good selection of books about Mardin and the surrounding Tur Abdin villages which are not easy to find elsewhere.
Transport info
Most independent visitors to Mardin take a taxi to the monastery (6km). If you do this you can pause on the way to inspect the restored Syrian Orthodox Church of Mor Gervegis (St George) at Kıllıtmara on the way. Make sure to agree a price for a return trip including waiting time with the driver.
