Syria's communities and civilizations – history, sites and heritage
Assyrian Church of the East
كنيسة المشرق الآشورية
Religious communities
Members of the Assyrian Church of the East in Syria are almost all Sureth-speaking Assyrians, concentrated in the Khabur valley villages near Tell Tamr. They descend largely from refugees who settled there after the 1933 Simele massacre in Iraq.
About 9,000 Assyrians from northern Iraq, originally from Hakkari, were settled along the upper Khabur near Tell Tamr after 1933; the settlement became part of Syria in 1942. Sources speak of 20 to over 30 Assyrian villages on the Khabur.
Sources and details
The church's cathedral of Our Lady is in Hasakah. The 1956 census counted 11,760 members.
On 23 February 2015 the Islamic State abducted 232 Assyrians from villages near Tell Tamr; the last hostages were released in early 2016 after a ransom mediated by the Assyrian Church of the East. IS destroyed eleven Khabur churches, including St Mary's at Tell Nasri.
Sites connected with this community 13
- Cathedral of Our Lady (Assyrian Church of the East), HasakahHasakah · Churches & monasteries
Cathedral of Our Lady, Hasakah.
- Church of Qabr Shamiya (St Qoryaqos per Armenian Assembly; 'St George' per Syriac Press)Qabr Shamiya (Khabur, Tell Tamr area), Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
Church of Qabr Shamiya, listed as destroyed.
- Church of St Mary (Mart Maryam), Tell NasriTell Nasri (Khabur), Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
St Mary's church, Tell Nasri, blown up by IS in 2015.
- Mar Rabban Pithyon (Raban Pityou / 'Saint Rabban Theo') church, Tell HormizdTell Hormizd (Khabur, Tell Tamr area), Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
Mar Rabban Pithyon church, Tell Hormizd, listed as destroyed.
- St Bishu church, Tell ShamiramTell Shamiram (Khabur, Tell Tamr area), Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
St Bishu church, Tell Shamiram, listed as destroyed.
- St John church, Tell JazirahTell Jazirah (Khabur, Tell Tamr area), Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
St John church, Tell Jazirah, listed as destroyed.
- St Odisho church, Tell TalTell Tal (Taal) (Khabur, Tell Tamr area), Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
St Odisho church, Tell Tal, listed as destroyed.
- St Qoryaqos church, Tell MaghadaTell Maghada (al-Makhada) (Khabur, Tell Tamr area), Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
St Qoryaqos church, Tell Maghada, listed as destroyed.
- St Shimon church, Tell BaloaaTell Baloaa (Tell Balouet) (Khabur, Tell Tamr area), Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
St Shimon church, Tell Baloaa, listed as destroyed.
- St Shimun church, Abu TinaAbu Tina (Khabur, Tell Tamr area), Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
St Shimun church, Abu Tina, listed as destroyed.
- St Shimun church, Kharitaal-Kharita (Khabur, Tell Tamr area), Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
St Shimun church, Kharita, listed as destroyed.
- St Sleewa (Holy Cross) church, Tell TalaaTell Talaa (Khabur, Tell Tamr area), Hasakah · Churches & monasteries
St Sleewa church, Tell Talaa, listed as destroyed.
- Khabur valleyDeir ez-Zor · Nature
The Khabur valley where the Assyrian villages lie.
These categories describe history, language and faith – not exclusive identities. Many Syrians belong to several, and some names refer to civilizations of the past.