Syriac people

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The Syriac people (Syriac: ܣܘܪܝܝܐ ܐܪܡܝܐ, IPA: ['Sūryōyɛ Orōmōyɛ]), also simply known as Syriacs or Arameans are an ethnic group of Aramaic origin, in the sense of sharing a common Syriac culture, Aramaic descent, religion, and speak a variant of Aramaic. They are native to Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and neighbouring regions who can also be found in a plethora of Syriac diaspora communities around the world. In later times, many of them fled into the United States, Canada, Australia, Israel, Jordan and Europe; mostly to Germany, Sweden, Netherlands and Switzerland. Today hundreds of thousands Syriacs live in diaspora.

For the most part, they speak the Syriac language, which is known as "Suryoyo" (ܠܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ) in their native tongue, but a large part also speak a dialect of the Neo-Aramaic language called Turoyo (ܛܘܪܝܐ). The Syriacs mostly call themselves "Suryoye" (ܣܘܪܝܝܐ) in their native tongue, but a large part also tend to use "Oromoye" (ܐܪܡܝܐ) as self-designation, since the Syriacs are descendants to the Aramaeans.

Being adherents of the West Syrian Rite, they belong to the Syriac Orthodox Church and Syriac Catholic Church, for which reason they are also known as Jacobites (named after Jacob Baradaeus). They are known as one of the first people to accept Christianity as their religion.

Their original homeland, which is known as Mesopotamia, or Beth Nahrain (ܒܝܬ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ) in the their mother tounge, lies in what is now Syria, Iraq and Turkey, specifically in the Turabdin (ܛܘܪ ܥܒܕܝܢ) region in Turkey, and in the Al Hasakah region in Syria. The strongest Syriac community in the world is found in the city of Al Qamishli (ܩܡܫܠܐ) in Syria where a large Syriac community live. Following the Syriac genocide (ܣܝܦܐ) in the early 20th century, many fled abroad, and a large portion today lives in diaspora.

Identity

"Strabo (AD 24): Those who call themselves Arameans, are called Syrians by us"

The Syriac people were earlier named as Aramaeans and their language Aramaic. The first ones that named the Aramaeans as Syrians (note the old name Syrians, today known as Syriacs) was the Greek geographer and historian Strabo (died AD 24) who said in his work Geography: "Those who call themselves Arameans, are called Syrians by us". Even in the Septuagint, the first translation of the Old Testament, the term "Aram" was translated into "Syria", "Aramaeans" into "Syrian" and "Aramaic language" into "Syrian language". *Brock, Sebastian (9/9/2002). The Hidden Pearl: The Aramaic Heritage. Trans World Film. ISBN 1-931956-99-5. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear=, |origmonth=, |accessmonth=, |month=, |chapterurl=, |origdate=, and |coauthors= (help); External link in |ref= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)</ref>Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

Gradually, the Aramaeans started to use the Greek term "Syrians" as a synonym to the term "Aramaeans", and "Syrian language" as a synonym to "Aramaic language".

During the first centuries after Christ, most Aramaeans got Christianized, and during that period, the Aramaeans often called themselves "Syrians" rather than "Aramaeans". As other people mentioned and called them for "Syrian", almost all Aramaeans to call themselves for "Syrian".

By time, the term "Aramaeans" got overcovered by the term "Syrians", and the Syrians started to call themselves "Suryoye" (Syrians) instead of "Oromoye" (Aramaeans).

The term "Syrian" was changed to "Syriac" by the Syriac Orthodox Church in 1950s, in reference to the Syrian Christian people and language so as to avoid confusion with belonging to the country of Syria.

The division has its roots in the Early Middle Ages, when Western Syriacs were located in Roman (Byzantine) territory (Roman Syria), and looked to the Patriarchate of Antioch, rather than to the Church of the East, originally on Sassanid territory, whence the Assyrian and Chaldean communities derive. These Christians tend to see themselves as Syrians or Aramaeans.

The Syriac flag has it history when André Dupont-Sommer made diggings in the historical Aramaean village Tell-Khalaf,Syria in the beginning of the 20th century.

He found a relief that shows three demons carrying the bewinged sunrelief.
The Syriacs in Syria started to use this symbol as an honour to their Aramaean origin.

The sun is representing the universe, the wings as symbol for everything between the universe and earth, the flowers (that looks as stars) is a symbol for the four cardinal points and all life in earth. These three symbolize the universe.

The red background was chosen because of all blood that has been spilled out due to all suffering and persecutions. The yellow color is symbolizing the hope for a own country, since Syriacs are a people living without their own state.

Polyonymy

Throughout the centuries, the Syriacs have been known by a number of names.

Aramaeans (ܐܪܡܝܐ) - The Syriacs originate from the Aramaeans and was in former times called for Aramaeans and their language Aramaic. The term "Aram" was found in an akkadian inscription for the first time 2200 B.C. The lexicographer Bar Bahlul from Baghdad (fl. 963 A.D.) recorded in his lexicon under the lemma ‘Syria’ that “the Syriacs were formerly called Arameans .”
Syrians - From the ancient Greek name Surioi (Σύριοι), after the name "Syrus". The Greeks called the Syriac people for "Syrians" instead of "Aramaeans". Michael, a 12th century Syriac-Orthodox Patriarch (d. 1199 A.D.), wrote in his voluminous Chronicle about “the kingdoms which have been established in Antiquity by our race, (that of) the Aramaeans , namely the descendants of Aram, who were called Syrians .” Historian Flavius Josephus, confirms that “Aram,” the son of Sem, the son of the Biblical Noah (Genesis 10:22), “had the Arameans, which the Greeks called Syrians.”
Syriacs (ܣܘܪܝܝܐ) - The term Syrian was changed to Syriac by the Syriac Orthodox Church in 1950s, in reference to the (Syrian Christian) people and language so as to avoid confusion with belonging to the country of Syria. Prof. Nöldeke argued already in 1871 that the sole scholarly correct name for the Syriac people and their language really is ‘Aramean’.
- West Syriacs incounting Syriac-Orthodox, Jacobites, Maronites, Melkites and Syriac-Catholics.
  A large scale Syriacs, especially in Lebanon, consider themselves Maronites after Maron. The Maronite Christians, the majority originating in Lebanon, who do not want to be labelled Arabs, often uses the correctly term Syriac as self-designation. Sometimes the Syriac people is incorrectly known as "Jacobites", named after Jacob Baradaeus who travelled around and organized the Syriac Orthodox Church in the middle of the 500s.
- East Syriacs incounting 'Nestorians' (or 'Assyrians') and Chaldeans. The religious name ‘Nestorians’ truly is, in the words of Prof. Sebastian Brock, a lamentable misnomer. Regarding the politically motivated adoption of the pre-Christian name ‘Assyrians’ after the first World War by members of this community.

Culture

Music

File:Assyrmardin.JPG

Typical Syriac clothing in Mardin, Tur abdin, Early 20th century

Main article: Syriac music

At early times of Syriac Christianity, the Syriac music was only used within the churches. In later times, the Syriac people felt that they wanted a new musical culture, to express the Syriac people´s feelings, ideas and sufferings without associating to the church. Great Syriac music writers studied the music used in the church, and established new styles of music.

In 1962 a Syriac called Chabo Bahé, wrote lyrics for Syriac music. The first song he wrote was Grishlah Idi, translated into English: She pulled my hand, and this song was the ground for the new style of Syriac music. Most early Syriacs songs was written and performed by Syriacs in Syria, Al Qamishli that reached out to the whole world. Syriac music is very impressive and has been a inspiration for many cultures.

The most known Syriac singers in modern time is Ishok Yakub, Josef Özer, Jean Karat and Habib Mousa.

The first International Aramaic Music Festival was held in Lebanon year 2008, 1-4 August for the Aramean-Syriac people around the world.

Dance

Main article: Syriac dance

Syriac dance is a group of traditional hand-holding dances similar to those from the Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. It is a form of round dancing, with a single or a couple of figure dancers often added to the geometrical centre of the dancing circle.

Syriacs sing and dance in all of their festivals, birthdays, and marriage ceremonies. There are several types of Syriac dances, depending on with ceremony or which song is played.

Several instruments such as Oud, Zurna and Davul is used within singing or dancing.

Religion

Main article: Syriac Christianity

Most Syriacs belong to the Syriac Orthodox Church (ʿIdto Suryoyto Triṣaṯ Šuḇḥo) which got 4,000,000 members around the world. The current Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church is Ignatius Zakka I Iwas. The Syriac Orthodox Church's headquarters are located in Damascus, Syria.

About 161,000 Syriacs are members of the Syriac Catholic Church, which has its headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon. In the eighteenth century many Syriacs left the Syriac Orthodox Church and joined the Roman Catholic Church, and later the Syriac Catholic Church.

In the 19th century there were anglican missionary activities in the Middle East. And they spread protestantism among the Syriac orthodox community and some of them founded their own protestant fractions but many of them returned to the orthodox denomination a few years later.

The Syriac-maronites are named after a hermit named Mar Maroun (died 410). The exact worldwide Maronite population is not known, although it is at least 8 million according to CNEWA (Catholic Near East Welfare Association). It is estimated that 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 remain in Lebanon where they constitute up to 25% of the population. The current Patriarch and also Cardinal (since 1986) is Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir who resides in Bkirki, north of Beirut (the Maronite Patriarch resides in the northern town of Dimane during the summer months).

Most known Syriac Doctors of the church are the following: Ephrem the Syrian, Jacob of Edessa, Bar-Hebraeus, Bardaisan and Jacob of Serug.

Traditions

Easter

The Syriac people celebrates Easter the first sunday after full moon that occurs on vernal equinox or afterwards. The Syriac people is following an older calendar than the calendar that the Western Churches is following, therefore their Easter occures a bit later.

The Syriacs are fasting normally 50 days, and the fast is voluntary. In the modern society, many Syriacs are chooses to only fast on the first and the last week.

During Maundy Thursday all Syriacs takes the Eucharist on their first churchvisit in the morning and on afternoon is it Foot washing. Twelve persons in the parish, which symbolizes Twelve Apostles are choosen to perform the Foot washing.

The Good Friday is the big mourning ceremony. A crucifix is washed, which is a symbol for Jesus body, with water and dries it of and then wrap it in a piece of material. Then the crucifix is placed in a flower-decorated coffin. The coffin is carried around in the church and finally, the coffin gets hanged over the church-door so all church-visitors can walk beneath it and show reverence for Jesus Christ. Afterwards, the coffin is carried down and the crucifix is placed in a smaller coffin with a seal, just like when Jesus was placed in his coffin.

Then the water, where the crucifix was washed, gets mixed up with vinegar and myrrh is dealt out to the the visitors. The bitter taste is a sign of participation of Jesus suffering.

Holy Saturday is a day of peace and quietness. There is only a Service of worship at night, but the big day is Easter Sunday. During Easter Sunday, the little coffin gets opened and the crucifix is held up as a sign that Jesus is alive.

Language

Main article: Neo-Aramaic languages

Syriac alphabet
(200 BCE–present)

ܐ ܒ ܓ ܕ ܗ ܘ

ܙ ܚ ܛ ܝ ܟܟ ܠ

ܡܡ ܢܢ ܣ ܥ ܦ

ܨ ܩ ܪ ܫ ܬ

Most Syriacs speaks a modern form of Syriac, which is an eastern Aramaic language, and spoken by 1,500,000 speakers in the homeland and the diaspora. To the native speaker, "Syriac" is usually called Suryoyo. A wide variety of dialects exist, including Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, and Turoyo.

The Turoyo language, which is a dialect of Aramaic, is a West Syriac language. It is spoken by approx. 1,000,000 speakers. Turoyo is spoken in eastern Turkey, Mardin province and north-eastern Syria, Al-Hasakah Governorate by members of the Syriac Orthodox Church. In Turoyo, the language is frequently called Suryoyo.

What remains of actual Western Neo-Aramaic, sometimes noted as the surviving language that would be the closest to the language spoken by Jesus, Western Neo-Aramaic is still spoken in Syria, but with only three villages left; Ma`loula, Bakh'a, and Jubb'adin, lie about 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Damascus.

In earlier days, Mlahsô, which is a Modern West Syriac language was traditionally spoken in eastern Turkey and north-eastern Syria. It was spoken in the villages of Mlahsó and `Ansha near Lice, Diyarbakır, Turkey. The name of the village and the language comes from the Syriac word melħo meaning 'salt'. The last speaker of Mlahsô, Ibrahim Hanna, died in 1998 in Qamishli.

Being stateless, many Syriacs speak second languages such as Arabic, Kurdish and Turkish.

Literature

Main article: Syriac literature

The Syriac literature is literature written in the Syriac language. The majority of classical Syriac literature is of a Christian religious nature.

The earliest Syriac inscription is dated to AD 6 and comes from Edessa. There are about eighty inscriptions from the region of Osrhoene dating from the first three centuries AD. All of these early inscriptions are non-Christian or pre-Christian.

The earliest Christian literature was the biblical translation, the Peshitta and the Diatessaron. During the fourth century Ephrem the Syrian was considered to be a big giant during this period. It is also known that this period was the golden age of Syriac literature. Ephrem the Syrian wrote hymns, poetry and prose for the church.

The fifth century and sixth century is considered to be a continuation of the Syriac golden age. During this time, there were Syriac poets and theologians such as Jacob of Serugh, Narsai, Isaac of Nineveh, Philoxenus of Mabbog, Babai the Great and Jacob of Edessa.

Composition in the classical Syriac language still continues among members of the Syriac Orthodox Church, where students in the church's monasteries are taught living, spoken Syriac, which also are known as Kṯoḇonoyo.

Sports

Main article: Syriac sports

File:Syrianskavis copy.jpg

Valsta Syrianska is one of many Syriac football clubs in Sweden.

The Syriac people have made a great success within the sports world, especially within the soccer world.

The teams Syrianska FC, Syrianska IF Kerburan, Valsta Syrianska IK and Arameiska/Syrianska KIF, plays at present in the third highest level in Sweden, Division 1 Norra. Also there is Örebro Syrianska IF, playing in the fifth highest level, Division 3 Västra Svealand. Among these Syriac soccer teams, there are also another 21 Syriac soccer teams playing in Sweden.

Syriac soccer players like Daniel Unal, Abgar Barsom, Suleyman Sleyman, Kennedy Bakircioglu, Louay Chanko, Sharbel Touma, Stefan Batan and Gabriel Özkan have made great success within the soccer world.

The Syriac soccer is very popular for many Syriacs all around the world, especially in Sweden. The fight between the two rivals Syrianska FC and Assyriska Föreningen which was played at 2007 drew 7 146 spectators. The match was broadcasted to over 80 countries through the Syriac channel Suryoyo Sat and drew much interest in Swedish media.

Because of the increasing interest for the Syriac football, and the great Syriac players, the newly Aramean Syriac Football Association has been established for the Aramean-Syriac people all around the world.

The Aramean Syriac football team Arameans Suryoye attended in 2008 VIVA World Cup, and reached the final, but lost against Padania with 2-0.

In 2008 the Syriac team Syrianska FC reaches the second highest division in Sweden, Superettan for the first time in the history.

Demographics

Homeland

The Syriacs are considered to be one of the indigenous people in the Middle East and specifically located in the area around Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The largest Syriac community is in Syria, where an estimated 1,500,000 Syriacs live. In Tur Abdin, mostly known as the homeland, there are only 3,000 left, and an estimated 15,000 in all of Turkey. After the Syriac genocide many Syriacs also fled into Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, Iraq and into the Western world.

Syria

The strongest Syriac stronghold in the Middle East is in Syria, specifically in the cities of Qamishli and Al-Hassakeh. Syriacs who fled from the Seyfo, fled into the newly formed country known as Syria.

Qamishli was from the 1920s to 1980s known as the Capital for the Syriacs.

Turkey

In Tur Abdin, mostly known as the homeland, there are only 3,000 left, and an estimated 15,000–50,000 in all of Turkey. Syriacs is ranked as the largest Christian denomination in Turkey.

The name "Tur Abdin" has the meaning of "The mountains of servants of God". This area was known as the world's most church and monastery closed area.

After the Syriac genocide many Syriacs also fled into Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, Iraq and the Western world.

In 1995 there were still 50,000 Syriacs left in Tur Abdin.

In later years, many Syriacs have quit their homes in Europe for good and moved back into Tur Abdin. Many Syriacs are returning to villages such as Kafro Tahtejto, Enhil, and villages in Mardin province. With almost 1000 Syriacs who already have returned back to their homeland in Tur Abdin, another 5,000 are expected to return.

Iraq

There are currently 90,000-150,000 Syriacs living in Iraq. The Syriacs, togheter with Assyrians and Chaldeans made a majority in many villages in Iraq but have, since the Iraq invasion, fled into nearby countries such as Syria, and into Europe.

Diaspora

In 1967 the first large group of Syriacs left Lebanon and moved into Sweden. Since that time over houndred of thousands Syriacs have left their original homeland and moved into Europe, the Americas and Australia. The Syriacs has created large diaspora communities.

Europe

A total of 550,000 Syriacs is currently living in Europe. Large Syriac diaspora communities can be found in Germany, Sweden, Netherlands and Switzerland. The largest Syriac diaspora community can be found Södertälje, Sweden, where approx. 40,000 Syriacs live.

Many Syriacs in Europe has made great success, many of them is famous politicians, entertainers, journalists, athletes and other. Also 4 Syriac soccerteam is playing in elitelevel in Sweden.

The international TV-channels Suryoyo Sat and Suroyo TV are also based in Europe, Södertälje in Sweden.

Americas

Australia

Persecutions

Historical persecution

The biggest one of the most enduring persecutions against the Syriac people was during the years 1914-1917, in the shadows of the First World War. According to the Syriac Orthodox Church, 500,000 Syriacs were persecuted during this genocide, also known as "Seyfo" (Simply meaning Sword) on their mother tounge.

The genocide took place in Southeastern Turkey, on the Syriac homeland called Tur Abdin. Monasteries, Churches and historical buildings were burnt down, and many Syriacs were forced to leave their Christian faith. This led into a large emigration, mainly into Al Qamishli, Syria.

The Syriacs in Tur Abdin were exposed to a serious pressure of expulsion, particularly in the rural areas, by neighbouring Kurdish-Islamic tribes. The expulsion measures ranged from abduction of Christian women and girls to unsolved murders of Syriacs.

Forced assimilation

In countries such as Turkey, a series of decrees tried to force the Syriac people to get assimilated. Attempts to assimilate the Syriac people were under way as early as 500 A.D. Many cultural rights were removed and many Syriacs became third-hand citizens. Syriac boys was taken away from their families and thrown into military services and other services. Many Syriacs was forced to change their names into Turkish names, and they were not allowed to exercise their culture or religion.

Contemporary issues

In modern days, still many Syriacs are not allowed to exercise cultural rights.

History

Prehistoric time

Main article: Aramaeans

The Aramaeans was a semitic ethnic group that lived in Mesopotamia and in Syria from around 1100 BC.

Their language, Aramaic, was a north Semitic language that had its time of greatness in the bigger part of the Near East during the first millennium before our time of counting; much as a result of the new Assyrian empire, that assumed the language as its national language, that led to the big spread of the Aramaic language in that area in the Middle East, today known as the Fertile Crescent .

Later, even the Persians and the Jews came to talk different accents of Aramaic . In the Old Testament, the Aramaeans are described as with the Jews, a close related ethnic group .

The Aramaeans along with the Hittite rulers came to rule Syro-Hittite states from about 1000 BC. The Aramaeans ruled cities such as Bit-Adini, Bit-Bahiani, Bit Agusi, Hatarikka-Luhuti and Hama. .

The Aramean expansion continues and in the second half of the second century BCE, Edessa became the capital of the Abgar dynasty, who founded the Kingdom of Osroene, the first Christian state under Abgar IX.

The Aramaeans were, in the 11th century BC, dominating the area in Syria. The Aramaeans established kingdoms across the northern frontier of Israel, such as Aram-Sobah, Aram-Bêt-Rehob and Aram-Ma’akah around Mount Hermon, Aram-Geshur in the Hauran, and Aram-Damascus which became the strongest and largest one.

In 900 BC the Arameans reaches the culmination of their political power. A large group of Aramaeans moved to the east of the Euphrates, where they settled in such numbers that the whole region became known as Aram-Naharaim or "Aram of the two rivers". One of their earliest kingdoms in Mesopotamia was Bît-bahiâni (Tell Halaf). North of Sam'al was the Aramaean state of Bit-Gabari, sandwiched between the Neo-Hittite states of Carchemish, Gurgum, Tabal, Khattina and Unqi.

The Arameans was dominating great areas in the southern Levant, whit states such as Aram-Damascus. Other Aramean tribes lived around the areas today known as Syria.

Aram-Damascus falls in 723 BC, with Resin as the last king in throne.

In 720 BC the Assyrian emperor Sargon II dispersed the last Aramaean kingdoms independence . Some people mean that the Chaldeans that occupied Babylon, was of Aramaic extraction

123 BC the great Aramean king Abgar Aryo founds the kingdom of Osroene with Urhoy as capital city.

Between the years 267–272 BC the Aramean queen Bath Zabbai of Palmyra conquers the Orient.

Christian time

Between the years 0–100 AD the terms Arameans and Aram were replaced by the terms Syrians (which today are known as Syriacs) and Syria.

The Syriacs were Christianized in the 1st to 3rd centuries, at the time subject to the Roman Empire in the Osroene and Syria provinces. According to legend already during the lifetime of Jesus, as king Abgar V of Edessa asked to be cured of leprosy and was healed by Thaddeus..

During the 3rd centurie, large scale Syriacs settle in Mardin and becomes a majority. In 1910, the Syriacs is forced to emigrate because of massacres.

Edessa became an important center of Early Christianity, and the local Syriac language came to be the liturgical language of Syriac Christianity. The Antiochene Rite developed at the time evolved into the West Syrian Rite followed by Western Syriacs.

The great king Abgar V the Black (Syriac; Abgar u Komo), son of the Araméans , suffered from a leprosy sickness, that even his own doctor not could cure him from.

Abgar V of Edessa had been told about a wise man in Palestine (Jesus) that this person had effective cures against sicknesses. He send a delegation with a letter to Jesus and invited him to Edessa, to cure Abgar V of Edessa. Jesus answered that could not come to Edessa, because he was on other duties. But he sent one of his followers, Thaddeus of Edessa and this Thaddeus cured king Abgar V and not long after, Abgar V of Edessa and the Aramean population converted into Christianity.

The kingdom of Abgar V, Edessa, got famous because of this event, and many people visited Edessa to look at the letters that was exchanged between Abgar V and Jesus .

Later, Edessa became a important centre for the Christian Arameans (Syriacs) and for their Syriac-Christian culture. The Aramaic dialect that was spoken in Edessa, became standard language in the new Syriac-Christian church.

With the rise of Sassanid Persia in the 3rd century, the Western Syriacs were divided from their Eastern cousins, who found themselves in the Sassanid province of Asuristan. The division deepened with the Nestorian and Monophsite schism in the 5th century.

After the Council of Ephesus (431), the Church of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, which had hitherto been governed by a catholicos under Antioch, refused to accept the condemnation of Nestorius, cut itself and the Church to the East of it off from both the Roman Catholic Church and the Syriac Church of Antioch. The Church of Antioch remained in communion with Rome until the East-West Schism of the 11th century.

The first Syriac documents come from about the end of the 5th century. The oldest Jacobite Liturgy extant is the one ascribed (as in its Greek form) to Saint James. It is in the dialect of Edessa.

During the Fifth century, Many Syriacs moved from Urhoy to Gundeshapur in Iran, as medical doctors. During that time, Urhoy was the leading medical centre.

The first Jacobite writer on their rite is James of Edessa (d. 708), who wrote a letter to a priest Thomas comparing the Syrian Liturgy with that of Egypt.

With the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate in the 650s, both the Eastern and the Western Syriac Churches fell under Islamic rule, their followers receiving the status of Dhimmi. Syriac Christianity has held the status of a minority religion in the Arab world ever since.

Nevertheless, the Syriacs remained a significant majority in various areas of the Middle East until the late 13th century.

After this century, the Syriacs never succeeded in recovering, and this was the start on oppressions, persecutions and constant massacres on the Syriacs.

During the 14th-century Timurid rule, however, large numbers of Syriacs were killed, and many of the survivors fled into the mountains of Tur Abdin. This area became the center of Syriac culture. The Syriacs built villages, churches and monasteries.

Modern

During the years 1843, 1846 and 1860 there was three mass murders committed against the Syriac population, which led to new emigrations, where many of the Syriac population fled into the mountains of Tur Abdin which already was dominated by Syriacs.

Celebration of Corpus Christi in Iraq, attended by Chaldeans, Syriacs, and Armenians, close to Aqd al-Nasara in 1920s.

In 1911 a winged sun relief was found in the Aramean village Tell-Khalaf, and there after the Syriacs in Syria started to use this relief as an honour to their Aramaic origin.

In 1914 a genocide, also known as "The Syriac genocide" was committed against the Syriac population in the Ottoman Empire near the end of the First World War by Young Turks. The Syriac population of northern Mesopotamia (Tur Abdin, Hakkari, Van, Siirt region in modern-day southeastern Turkey and Urmia region in northwestern Iran) was forcibly relocated and massacred by Ottoman (Turkish and Kurdish) forces between 1914 and 1920 under the regime of the Young Turks. This genocide is considered by some scholars to be a part of the same policy of extermination as the Armenian Genocide and Pontic Greek Genocide .

During the years 1915-1923, Aramean finds were discovered by German archeologists in the Aramean village Zincirli, Turkey. This finds were brought by the Syriacs from Syria when they fled into Turkey. Today they can be found in the Berlin Museum.

In 1920 a large amount of Syriacs emigrated into the plains in North Eastern Syria, especially in Al Qamishli and Al-Hasakah. Large Syriac communities could also be found in Beirut.

In , at the Ottoman Empire's fall after the first world war, the Syriac homeland fell under the French Mandate of Syria in the west and the British Mandate of Iraq in the east, and many Syriac Christians were dispersed in the Syriac diaspora.

During the fifties and the sixties another large wave of immigration set in. Syriac communities moved into larger urban areas in western part of Turkey. 20,000 Syriacs settled in Istanbul until the sixties.´

In year 1968, Syriacs moved from Lebanon to Sweden. The group contained a total of 200 Syriacs. At this time, many Syriacs left Lebanon, Syria and Turkey and moved to Europe and the United States.

The first Syriac soccer team in the diaspora was Syrianska FC, which currently plays in the third highest division in Sweden, was established in 1977. The first name on the soccer team was Suryoye, but was changed in 1986 to Syrianska SK, and finally to Syrianska FC.

In 1988 the Aramean-Syriac party Aramaic Democratic Organization was established in Lebanon.

Syriacs were still the largest Christian denomination in Turkey, with more than 100,000 Syriacs still left in Tur Abdin. In later years many Syriacs started to move from Tur Abdin, especially to Sweden, USA and Germany.

In the mid 1980s there were still 70,000 Syriacs left in Turkey. During this time many Syriacs fled abroad due to unrest in the border region and concerns for their security. In 1995 they were still a majority as the largest Christian denomination in Turkey, with around 50,000 Syriacs. Today in Tur Abdin, there remain about 3,000 Syriacs.. However, after the turn of the century, many Syriacs have started to move back.

The Syriac party Syriac Union of Lebanon, also known as SUL, is established in 29 of March, 2005 in Lebanon. The current leader for the party is Brahim Murat.

In 2008 the national team for the Aramean-Syriac people all over the world was established. The football team is named Arameans Suryoye and attended for the first time in 2008 VIVA World Cup. The football team reached the final, but lost against Padania with 2-0.

At the end of 2008, the Syriac team Syrianska FC reaches the second highest division in Sweden, Superettan for the first time in the history.

At the turn of the year 2008 and 2009, the Syriac monastery of Mor Gabriel gets a lot of media attention, after the 1700 years old monastery being accused of neighboring kurdish villages to be built on a mosque. Syriacs around the world performing large demonstrations against Turkey and gets a lot of media attention.

Institutions

Political institutions

Aramaic Democratic Organization (Politic party in Lebanon)
Syriac Independent Unified Movement (Politic party in Iraq)
Syriac Union of Lebanon (Politic party in Lebanon)
Syriac Universal Alliance (Umbrella organization for all Syriac organizations)
European Syriac Union
Platform Aram

Other institutions

Ancient Arameans
Aramaic language Aramaic alphabet
Syro-Hittite states
Biblical region Aram-Damascus Paddan Aram Aram Rehob Aram Soba
Aramean kings
Irhuleni Hezion Tabrimmon Ben-Hadad I Hadadezer Hazael Ben-Hadad III Rezin
Aramean cities
Amrit Arpad Bit Bahiani Coba Höyük Gidara Hama Qarqar Ruhizzi Sam'al Tell Aran Tell Halaf Til Barsip Upu Zobah
Sources
Aramaic inscriptions
v t e

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References

http://www.themesopotamian.org/magazine/mesopotamian_v1_i4_jan05.pdf
http://www.kristdemokraterna.se/PressOchMedia/Pressmeddelanden/Internationellt/~/media/DBB059D6B89C42C1B8CB49B55C7CAC49.ashx
http://www.joshuaproject.net/peoples.php?rop3=210540
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14417a.htm
http://www.tulumba.com/storeItem.asp?ic=VI342856CI279
"Tur Abdin, and the Aramaean Renaissance" by John Messo
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/christians-caught-in-the-crossfire-members-of-syriac-sect-driven-from-homes-1392468.html
Geography, book 1, chapter 2, nr34
^ The Syrian-Orthodox Mor Jacob of Edessa (Urhoy) (present-day Urfa in Turkey, †708) says: "It is in this same way also we the Arameans, that is to say the Syrians"
^ Catholic Encyclopedia: Syria
^ kaldalya.net
^ Dionoysius Bar Salibi the Syrian-Orthodox bishop of Amid (Diyarbekir, Turkey, †1171), also called the star from the 12th century, says in his book ‘Against the Armenians": "The Armenians say: "From whom do you descend - you who are Syriacs by race?" Against them we will say: Neither do you know from whom you descend....It is we (Syrians) who have enlightened your authors and revealed to them that you are descending from Togarma....As to us Syrians, we descend racially from Shem, and our father is Kemuel (the) son of Aram, and from this name of Aram we are also called sometimes in the books by the name of "Aramaeans".
^ The Syrian-Orthodox Patriarch Mor Michael the Great of Militene (Malatya, Turkey, † 1199 AD) writes: "The Children of Shem are the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, the Ludians and the Arameans who are the Syrians, the Hebrew and the Persians.". The same author says about the Mesopotamian history” The kingdoms which have been established in antiquity by our race, (that of) the Aramaeans, namely the descendants of Aram, who were called Syrians”.
^ Syriacs
^ :The term was changed from Syrian to Syriac in referring to the (Syrian Christian) people and language so as to avoid confusion with belonging to the country of Syria. For information on Syrian nationals see the Demographics of Syria.
The Greek writer Posidonius (150 BC) says in his work.. "The people that we (The Greeks) call Syrians, are called by themselves Arameans..........Because the people in Syra are the Arameans"
flag of Syriac-Aramaic People (Syria) flags
Syriac-Aramaic People (Syria)
http://www.sua-online.org/subsyriacs.html
Hidden Pearl, volume 1
R. Duval (ed.), Lexicon Syriacum (Paris, 1888-1901). About this early writer one recalls the words of the French scholar J.B. Chabot in the http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14408a.htm under the ‘S’ of “Syriac Language and Literature”: “Abu' l' Hassan, known as Bar Bahlul, compiled his famous ‘Lexicon’, a small encyclopedia in which he collected, together with the lexicographical works of his predecessors, numerous notices on the natural sciences, philosophy, theology, and Biblical exegesis.”
^ Cite error: The named reference autogenerated17 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference autogenerated12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Cited and translated by L. Van Rompay, “Jacob of Edessa and the early history of Edessa,” in G.J. Reinink & A.C Klugkist (eds.), After Bardaisan: Studies on Continuity and Change in Syriac Christianity in Honour of Professor Han J.W. Drijvers (Groningen, 1999), p. 277.
Jewish Antiquities (93 A.D.), Book I, chapter 6 and par. 4 of the English translation by http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/ant-1.htm (1895); read, however, for the English rendition of the Greek word aramaious ‘Arameans’ instead of ‘Aramites’. See also Book I.143 of the Greek source, edited by B. Niese (1892; available at http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=J.%2BAJ%2Btoc).
Th. Nöldeke, “Die Namen der aramäischen Nation und Sprache,” in Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft 25 (1871), p. 131: “Von den Namen dieser Nation und ihrer Sprache ist im Grunde der ursprüngliche ‘aramäisch’ auch der einzige, der noch für den Gebrauch der heutigen Wissenschaft streng passt.” English translation: “Regarding the name of this nation and its language is the original ‘Aramean’ in essence also the only one , that for the employment of the present-day scholarship as yet strongly fits.”
http://i-cias.com/e.o/assyrian_p.htm
“The ‘Nestorian’ Church: A Lamentable Misnomer,” in Bulletin of the John Rylands Library of Manchester 78:3 (1996), pp. 23-36.
J. Joseph, The Modern Assyrians of the Middle East: Encounters with Western Christian missions, archaeologists, and colonial powers (Studies in Christian Mission, 26; Leiden: Brill, 2000), pp. 1-32.
^ Syriac Music: History
ankawa.com » Blog Archive » The First Aramaic International Music Festival in the Open Air
Adherents.com
http://www.na.se/artikel.asp?intId=1323753
Beyer, Klaus (1986). The Aramaic language: its distribution and subdivisions. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht. ISBN 3-525-53573-2
Brock, Sebastian (2006). An Introduction to Syriac Studies. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. ISBN 1-59333-349-8
"Turoyo". ethnologue.com. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
Jastrow, Otto (1994). Der neuaramäische Dialekt von Mlaḥsô. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. ISBN 3-447-03498-X.
W. Wright: A Short History of Syriac Literature, 1894, 1974 (reprint)
http://www.svenskafans.com/fotboll/syrianska/artikel.asp?id=135854
: Syrianska FC :
Syrianska Föreningen i Södertälje
^ VIVA World Cup Official Website
http://www.lt.se/index.asp?kat=st&i1=index_red_2007.asp&i2=1&Id=29332&isp2=hela
http://www.syrianskafc.com
^ *SOC News report , He was documenting life in the Tur Abdin, where about 3,000 members of the Aramean minority still live.' Cite error: The named reference "3000turabdin" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
^ Statement on Assyrians/Syriacs in Turkey/Iraq
^ Religion in Turkey - Religious Minorities
^ Mardin’s Bakok Mountain draws Syriac diaspora back home
^ SOCNews - Syriacs Migrating Home to SE Turkey
Note on the Modern Assyrians, & Other Nationalistic Issues
http://www.themesopotamian.org/magazine/mesopotamian_v1_i4_jan05.pdf
http://www.kristdemokraterna.se/PressOchMedia/Pressmeddelanden/Internationellt/~/media/DBB059D6B89C42C1B8CB49B55C7CAC49.ashx
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=70134
Ye'or, Bat (2002). Islam and Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. pp. pp. 148-149. ISBN 0838639437. OCLC 47054791. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessdaymonth=, |month=, |accessyear=, and |accessmonthday= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
http://www.esu.cc/About%20Us/ESU%20Documents/Situation%20of%20the%20Syriacs%20in%20Turkey%20-%202008.pdf
http://www.esu.cc/About%20Us/ESU%20Documents/Situation%20of%20the%20Syriacs%20in%20Turkey%20-%202008.pdf
http://www.free-syria.com/en/loadarticle.php?articleid=22203
^ Aramaean - Britannica Online Encyclopedia
^ Bible Dictionary: Aram, Aramaeans
Tübinger Bibelatlas / Tübingen Bible Atlas. Siegfried Mittmann, Götz Schmitt (eds.), Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2001, Map B IV 13-14
O.R. Gurney, The Hittites. Harmondsworth: Pelican, 2nd ed., 1976 = 1954. p. 39-46.
Adshead, Samuel Adrian Miles (2000). China in World History. Macmillan. p. 27. ISBN 0312225652. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
Ball, Warwick (2000). Rome in the East: The Transformation of an Empire. Rome: Routledge. p. 95. ISBN 0415113768. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
Cheetham, Samuel (1905). A History of the Christian Church During the First Six Centuries. Macmillan and Co. p. 58. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
Lockyer, Herbert (1988). All the Apostles of the Bible. Zondervan. p. 260. ISBN 0310280117. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ Watson E. Mills (1990). Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Mercer University Press. pp. pp. 52. ISBN 0865543739. OCLC 20852514. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |origmonth=, |accessmonth=, |chapterurl=, |accessyear=, |month=, and |origdate= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
Syriacs - Ethnicity
The Greek writer Posidonius (150 BC) says in his work.. "The people that we (The Greeks) call Syrians, are called by themselves Arameans..........Because the people in Syra are the Arameans"
^ This event is described in Eusebius' Church-history (I.13;II.1) Cite error: The named reference "abgar" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
http://lexicorient.com/e.o/mardin.htm
S:t Jakob from Serug in a poem about the martyrs Guria and Shamuna, he says that Abgar V is son of the Araméans: "Two precious pearls, which were an ornament for the bride of my lord Abgar, the Aramaean's son." (Text tr. A. Roberts and J. Donaldson (eds.), Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 8 (1886);) (See Syriac Manuscripts from the Vatican Library: Volume 1, VatSyr. 117, number 224:On Shmona and Gurya. Fol. 551a, p. 1099)
Testamentum Domini, ed. by Ignatius Rahmani II, Life of Severus of Antioch, sixth century.
http://rnb.uin.googlepages.com/v22n2spring2005.pdf
Assyrians: The Continuous Saga - Page 40 by Frederick A. Aprim
Ye'or, Bat (2002). Islam and Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. pp. pp. 148-149. ISBN 0838639437. OCLC 47054791. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessdaymonth=, |month=, |accessyear=, and |accessmonthday= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
Schaller, Dominik J. and Zimmerer, Jürgen (2008) 'Late Ottoman genocides: the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and Young Turkish population and extermination policies - introduction', Journal of Genocide Research, 10:1, 7 - 14
^ http://www.jaas.org/edocs/v1/jastrow.pdf
MIDEASTIMAGE :: Image Search Results
SvD » Inrikes » "Nu visar vi världen vilka vi är"
Cite error: The named reference autogenerated8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
: Syrianska FC :
[SPIRITUAL SITES] Mor Jacob Monastery: a Syriac oasis in Nusaybin
sul-har-blivit
http://www.lt.se/index.asp?kat=st&i1=index_red_2007.asp&i2=1&Id=29332&isp2=hela
http://www.syrianskafc.com
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE50L08720090122?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3968370,00.html
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=14310&size=A

Syriac Christianity

West Syriac, legacy of
the Church of Antioch

Eastern Catholic	Maronite Church (685) Syriac Catholic Church (1662)
Oriental Orthodox	Syriac Orthodox Church (512)

East Syriac, legacy of
the Church of the East
(the "Nestorian Church")
(410–1552)

Eastern Catholic	Chaldean Catholic Church (1552)
Nestorian	Assyrian Church of the East (1552) Ancient Church of the East (1968)
Protestant (Eastern Protestant)	Assyrian Evangelical Church (1870) Assyrian Pentecostal Church (1940)

Saint Thomas Christians,
legacy of
the Malankara Church
(active 1st century–1601)
in Kerala, India

Eastern Catholic	Syro-Malabar Church (East Syriac) (1665) Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (West Syriac) (1932)
Oriental Orthodox	Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (1665) Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (1912) Malabar Independent Syrian Church (1772)
Nestorian (Assyrian Church of the East)	Chaldean Syrian Church (1701)
Protestant (Eastern Protestant)	Mar Thoma Syrian Church (1852) St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India (1961) Believers Eastern Church (2017)

Key figures

Languages

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