Deyrulzaferan

From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Camera location37° 17′ 57.6″ N, 40° 47′ 33.9″ E Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap.View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMapinfo

Mor Hananyo Monastery (Syrian: ܕܝܪܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܚܢܢܝܐ, Dairo d-Mor Ḥannanyo) is an important Syriac Orthodox monastery near the city of Mardin in Turkey. It is usually better known by its nickname, the 'Saffron Monastery' (Syrian:ܕܝܪܐ ܕܟܘܪܟܡܐ, Dairo d-Kurkmo; Arabic: دير الزعفران, Dairu 'l-Za‘farān; Turkish: Deyrülzafarân Manastırı). This name is derived from the warm colour of its stone. The monastery acquired its present, official name from Saint Hananyo (the Syriac equivalent of Ananias, which is its Greek form), who was Metropolitan of Kfartuta from 793 to 800. Saint Hananyo renovated the monastery 793.

Founded in 493 AD, the monastery was formerly the seat of the patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1160 until 1932 where it relocated to Damascus.