Üçköy, Nusaybin
Üçköy | |
|---|---|
Church of Mor Ephraim and Mor Theodorus | |
Üçköy Location in Turkey | |
| Coordinates: 37°15′29″N 41°26′13″E / 37.258°N 41.437°E | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Province | Mardin |
| District | Nusaybin |
| Population (2024)[1] | 465 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (TRT) |
Üçköy (Kurdish: Xarābê Alê, lit. 'ruins';[2][a] Syriac: ܐܪܟܚ, romanized: Arkaḥ)[5][b] is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Nusaybin, Mardin Province in Turkey.[7] The village is populated by Syriacs.[8][c] It had a population of 465 in 2024.[1] It is located in the region of Beth Rishe in Tur Abdin.[20]
In the village, there is the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephraim and Mor Theodorus.[21]
History
Arkaḥ (today called Üçköy) is mentioned in the Life of Malke, in which it is noted that Mor Malke resided near the village, where he performed several miracles and gained Šlémūn bar Wahbūn as a disciple.[22] The Mor Malke Monastery was founded near the village about the sixth century and is believed to have hosted a Zoroastrian cult.[23] Arkaḥ was inhabited by adherents of the Church of the East until it was abandoned and lost its name.[24] It became known as Harabalé ("ruins"), but was eventually resettled by Syriac Orthodox Christians in the 1830s and the Church of Mor Ephraim and Mor Theodorus was rebuilt.[24] In the Syriac Orthodox patriarchal register of dues of 1870, it was recorded that the village had 40 households, who paid 63 dues, and was served by the Church of Morī Tawodoros and two priests.[25] The Church of Mor Ephraim and Mor Theodorus was in ruins when the village was visited by Gertrude Bell in 1909.[26]
The Syriac Catholic bishop Gabriel Tappouni recorded that the village was populated by 400 Syriac Orthodox Christians in 80 families and were served by one priest in 1913.[27] In 1914, Arkaḥ was inhabited by 300 or 400 Syriacs, according to the list presented to the Paris Peace Conference by the Assyro-Chaldean delegation.[d] Amidst the Sayfo, the village's population took refuge at the Mor Malke Monastery.[29] The population of the village was 743 in 1960.[4] There were 950 Turoyo-speaking Christians in 120 families in 1966.[4] In the late 20th century, a number of villagers emigrated to Germany.[30] The village had a priest in 1979.[31] In 1981, the village had a school.[31]
Arkaḥ was the only village in the region of Beth Rishe that was not evacuated in the 1990s due to the activities of the PKK.[32] Less than 100 people in 25 families remained in the village.[32] By 1999, the village had a priest, but did not have a school or a physician.[33] As a consequence of the Turkish government's appeal to Syriacs to return to their homeland in 2001, 6 families from Istanbul and abroad subsequently returned to the village.[34] In the early 2000s, a football field was established in the village whilst the streets were widened and cleared to be made accessible for cars in the mid-2000s.[32] The Church of Mor Ephraim and Mor Theodorus was repaired between 2009 and 2011.[32] A new village hall was constructed at Arkaḥ in 2014–2019.[32] By 2019, it was inhabited by 270 people in 68 families.[32]
On 9 January 2020, Sefer (Aho) Bileçen, a monk at the Mor Yakub Monastery, the village headman Jozef Yar, and a villager were arrested by the Turkish Gendarmerie at Arkaḥ.[17][10] Bileçen was charged with joining the People's Defense Forces of the PKK the following month,[18] and in 2021 was sentenced to two years and one month in prison.[17] In August 2023, the Governor of Mardin declared Arkaḥ, alongside eight other villages, as a "special security zone" in the event of military operations.[35][36] The village would receive this status once again for a 15-day period the following year.[37] To help revive the local economy, a number of Syriacs have returned to Arkah from the diaspora and have opened businesses as recently as 2023.[38][39] In recent years, the village has become well known for its pizza making, alongside Elbeğendi.[16] The village's water infrastructure was repaired in January 2025.[11]
Demography
Families
The following is a list of the number of Syriac families that have inhabited Arkaḥ per year stated. Unless otherwise stated, all figures are from the list provided in The Syrian Orthodox Christians in the Late Ottoman Period and Beyond: Crisis then Revival, as noted in the bibliography below.[31][e]
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 219 | — |
| 2007 | 88 | −8.71% |
| 2012 | 316 | +29.13% |
| 2017 | 364 | +2.87% |
| 2022 | 438 | +3.77% |
| 2024 | 465 | +3.04% |
| Source: Population census (1997)[41] and TÜİK (2007-2024)[1] | ||
References
Notes
- ^ Also spelt as Harabalé, Harabale, Ḫarābālī, Harabali, Harab-Allé, Harapali, Kharaba Aleh, Kharabalé, Kharabalī, or Xarabe-ale.[3] Nisba: Xarābālī.[4]
- ^ Alternatively translitered as Arkāḥ or Ârkah.[6] Also known as Xarābāle.[4]
- ^ For the use of the term "Syriac" to refer to the population of Arkaḥ.[9][10][11][12][13] For use of the term "Assyrian".[14][15][16][17][18] The terms "Syriac" and "Assyrian" are used to refer to the same group of people.[19]
- ^ It has been suggested that the village was erroneously listed twice, as Harabali with a population of 300 in the kaza of Habab (attached to the kaza of Nusaybin) and Harab-Allé with a population of 400 in the kaza of Midyat.[28]
- ^ The size of a single family varies between five and ten persons.[40]
Citations
- ^ a b c "Population Of Municipalities, Villages And Quarters". TÜİK. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
- ^ Ritter (1967), p. 14; Hollerweger & Palmer (1999), p. 228.
- ^ Barsoum (2008), p. 18; Jongerden & Verheij (2012), p. 325; Courtois (2013), p. 146; Palmer (1990), p. 264; Courtois (2004), p. 41; Bcheiry (2009), p. 54; Hollerweger & Palmer (1999), p. 228; Biner (2020), p. x.
- ^ a b c d e Ritter (1967), p. 14.
- ^ Carlson, Thomas A. (9 December 2016). "Arkaḥ — ܐܪܟܚ". The Syriac Gazetteer. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ Courtois (2004), p. 41; Palmer (1990), p. 264.
- ^ Mahalle, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ Tan (2018), p. 153.
- ^ Gaunt (2006), p. 201; Hollerweger & Palmer (1999), p. 228; Güsten (2016), p. 29.
- ^ a b "Detained Syriacs: Village Head Jozef Yar Released, Priest Bileçen Still Under Arrest". Bianet. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Arkah village restores water infrastructure, marking progress in Tur Abdin revitalization". Syriac Press. 3 January 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ Gusten, Susanne (2 October 2015). "Christian minority squeezed in south-eastern Anatolia". The Arab Weekly. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ "TURKEY: Arkah village youth launch Arkah News to showcase community activities in Arkah and other villages on Turo d'Izlo in Tur Abdin". Syriac Press. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ Günaysu (2019), p. 22; BarAbraham (2021), p. 171.
- ^ Kado, Athra (23 January 2021). "Journey to the Mountain of Worshipers in Southern Turkey". The Assyrian Journal. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Assyrian Pizzas Compete with Italy's". raillynews.com. Railly News. 3 January 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "Assyrian Christian priest sentenced to two years imprisonment". Christian Solidarity Worldwide. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Assyrian Christian priest indicted on terrorism charges". Christian Solidarity Worldwide. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Omtzigt, Tozman & Tyndall (2012), p. i: "In this book the authors of the different chapters made their own choice regarding the use of the names Suryoye, Syriacs, Syrians, Assyrians, Arameans, Syrian Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Syrian Catholics, Syrian Protestants, Chaldean and others. The different names should be read against the background of changes in the context of living, different ideas about the historical past of the same group of people and in the context of different opinions regarding the best name to be used."
- ^ Barsoum (2003), p. 566; BarAbraham (2021), p. 171.
- ^ Barsoum (2008), p. 18; Al-Jeloo (2015), p. 114.
- ^ Palmer (1990), pp. 17, 33; Fiey (2004), pp. 130–131.
- ^ Palmer (1990), p. 29; Barsoum (2003), p. 566.
- ^ a b Al-Jeloo (2015), p. 114; Hollerweger & Palmer (1999), p. 228.
- ^ Bcheiry (2009), p. 54.
- ^ Al-Jeloo (2015), p. 114.
- ^ Courtois (2004), p. 41.
- ^ Jongerden & Verheij (2012), pp. 323, 325; Gaunt (2006), pp. 425, 427.
- ^ Gaunt (2006), p. 201; Günaysu (2019), p. 22.
- ^ a b Courtois (2013), p. 146.
- ^ a b c Dinno (2017), p. 383.
- ^ a b c d e f g BarAbraham (2021), p. 171.
- ^ a b Reverend Stephen Griffith (9 June 2000). "The Situation Among Christians in Tur Abdin: A Summary of Visits to S.E. Turkey from 1997-99". Syriac Orthodox Resources. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ BarAbraham (2021), pp. 153, 171.
- ^ "Rural areas in Nusaybin declared special security zones". ANF News. 5 August 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ "Nusaybin'de dokuz köy özel güvenlik bölgesi ilan edildi". Rûpela nû (in Turkish). 5 August 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ "Mardin Nusaybin'in kırsal alanları 'özel güvenlik bölgesi' ilan edildi" [Rural areas of Mardin Nusaybin declared as 'special security zone']. rudaw.net (in Turkish). Rudaw. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Snell, Joe (20 June 2022). "New pizzeria in Tur Abdin region of Turkey opens amid spike in local tourism". The Assyrian Journal. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Ibrahim Sincar, Halil; Erol, Selahattin (14 August 2023). "Odun ateşinde pizza yapılan Süryani köyleri lezzet durağı oldu" [Assyrian villages where pizza is made on wood fires have become a delicious stop]. www.aa.com.tr. Mardin. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Brock (2021), p. 167.
- ^ "1997 Population Count" (PDF) (in Turkish). Turkish Statistical Institute. 1999. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 October 2022.
Bibliography
- Al-Jeloo, Nicholas (2015). "Transferrable Religious Heritage: Church Buildings in Northern Mesopotamia". Le patrimoine architectural de l'Église orthodoxe d'Antioche: Perspectives comparatives avec les autres groupes religieux du Moyen-Orient et des régions limitrophes. Publications of the University of Balamand. pp. 111–127. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- BarAbraham, Abdulmesih (2021). "Returning Home: The Ambivalent Assyrian Experience in Turkey". Poligrafi. 26 (101/102): 153–176.
- Barsoum, Aphrem (2003). The Scattered Pearls: A History of Syriac Literature and Sciences. Translated by Matti Moosa (2nd ed.). Gorgias Press. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
- Barsoum, Aphrem (2008). The History of Tur Abdin. Translated by Matti Moosa. Gorgias Press. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- Bcheiry, Iskandar (2009). The Syriac Orthodox Patriarchal Register of Dues of 1870: An Unpublished Historical Document from the Late Ottoman Period. Gorgias Press. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- Biner, Zerrin Özlem (2020). States of Dispossession: Violence and Precarious Coexistence in Southeast Turkey. University of Pennsylvania Press. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
- Brock, Sebastian (2021). "The Syrian Orthodox Church in the twentieth century". Eastern Christianity, Theological Reflection on Religion, Culture, and Politics in the Holy Land and Christian Encounter with Islam and the Muslim World (PDF). Living Stones of the Holy Land Trust. pp. 155–181. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
- Courtois, Sébastien de (2004). The Forgotten Genocide: Eastern Christians, The Last Arameans. Translated by Vincent Aurora. Gorgias Press. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- Courtois, Sébastien de (2013). "Tur Abdin : Réflexions sur l'état présent descommunautés syriaques du Sud-Est de la Turquie,mémoire, exils, retours". Cahier du Gremmamo (in French). 21: 113–150.
- Dinno, Khalid S. (2017). The Syrian Orthodox Christians in the Late Ottoman Period and Beyond: Crisis then Revival. Gorgias Press. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
- Fiey, Jean Maurice (2004). Lawrence Conrad (ed.). Saints Syriaques (in French). The Darwin Press.
- Gaunt, David (2006). Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim-Christian Relations in Eastern Anatolia during World War I. Gorgias Press. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- Günaysu, Ayşe (2019). Safety Of The Life Of Nun Verde Gökmen In The Village Zaz (Izbirak) — Midyat, Tur Abdin – And The General Social Situation Of The Assyrian Villages In The Region (PDF) (Report). Translated by Abdulmesih BarAbraham. Human Rights Association Commission Against Racism and Discrimination. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- Güsten, Susanne (2016). A Farewell to Tur Abdin (PDF). Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- Hollerweger, Hans; Palmer, Andrew (1999). Turabdin: Living Cultural Heritage (in English, German, and Turkish) (2nd ed.). Friends of Tur Abdin.
- Jongerden, Joost; Verheij, Jelle, eds. (2012). Social Relations in Ottoman Diyarbekir, 1870-1915. Brill. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- Omtzigt, Pieter; Tozman, Markus K.; Tyndall, Andrea, eds. (2012). The Slow Disappearance of the Syriacs from Turkey and of the Grounds of the Mor Gabriel Monastery (PDF). LIT Verlag Münster. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- Palmer, Andrew (1990). Monk and Mason on the Tigris Frontier: The Early History of Tur Abdin. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- Ritter, Hellmut (1967). Turoyo: Die Volkssprache der Syrischen Christen des Tur 'Abdin (in German). Vol. 1. Franz Steiner Verlag.
- Tan, Altan (2018). Turabidin'den Berriye'ye. Aşiretler - Dinler - Diller - Kültürler (in Turkish). Pak Ajans Yayincilik Turizm Ve Diş Ticaret Limited şirketi. ISBN 9789944360944.