Posted on 06/08/2003 4:18:22 PM PDT by Turk2
Assyrians Return to Turkey
Anatolian Agency (Diyarbakir - Mardin)
14 Turkish Assyrian families that had immigrated to Switzerland and Germany from the Elebegendi Village of Midyat, Mardin 20 years ago are coming back. The villagers are building villas with swimming pools and a sports centre with tennis courts and will also build high quality infrastructure to the village.
The villas ranging between 140 to 250 m2 in size , whose foundations have already been layed, will cost between £60-100,000 each. Yusuf Begtas, General Secretary of the Turabdin Metropolitan, has stated that the villas will be made from Midyat stine and will blend in with the local fabric of the region and that all the infracstructure of the village will be payed for by the returning villagers. He also added that:
"The foundations of the villas have been layed. The South Eastern Anatolia Project Development Agency will provide the villages water from underground resources. The families will restore the historic church in the village. The returning Assyrians want to reunify with the lands they were born and raised in and continue their coexistence with their Muslim brothers with whom they have united orund common virtues for years."
Yahko Demir, one of the villagers planning to return, has been a manager at the Movenpick Hotel in Switzerland for the last 25 years has said: "I'm also a wine expert. I can differentiate 12 different brands of wines immediately solely by tasting them. I'm planning on forming a wine production centre in our village. The Mardin region is one of richest places in the world in terms of its historical and cultural values. We're planning on restoring old historic houses and turning them into small hotels. We have a debt of loyalty to the land we were born and raised in and to our fellow compatriots with whom we share our destiny. We have decided to repay this debt."
Roots of the Syrians go back to Prophet Noah’s son Sam. Inhabitant places of this society, which belongs to Semitic race, are mostly located in Mesopotamia. The Syrians have a five-thousand-year long history in this wide area.
Although it is asserted name of this society has changed through their fifty-century-long history, it is certain that they have been called as the Syrians in the last twenty centuries. The Syrians who have a profound history have kept their culture and believes, succeeded in remaining standing and could carried on their existence up until today.
Descendants of the Syrians, the Aramies, were a big power in this area when Christianity was born in the city of Antakia and the Antakia Representative Rostrum which is the first rostrum of the three biggest rostrums of Christianity was founded (A.D. 37-43). Most of the Aramies who worshipped to various idols following the principles of Jesus Christ by their consent were converted to Christianity. Pursuant to this change, they left the name of Arami and began to use name of the Syrian and at the same time started to call the language they spoke as Syriac.
At that time, the name of the Syrian was identified with the new developing Christianity believe in the region and usage of these two elements among the public became identical to each other. Apostles of Jesus Christ and people of the region so much adopted the name of Syrians that they started calling Antakia Church with this name and it became the religious symbol of the said church. In A.D. 107, in a letter addressed to the Romans by the 3rd Patriarch Mor Ignatius Nurani, "Antakia Syrian Church" phrase was used.
After accepting Christianity in the year of A.D. 34, sending ambassadors Aramie King the V. Abgar led spreading Christianity belief in several regions of Mesopotamia. Usage of Syriac by the local public has speed-up this process.
Pursuant to this process, given same meaning to , Christianity and Syrian belief has spread in Mesopotamia region within a short period of time.
The Syrians who developed their culture from day to day affected the social life of the region by creating magnificent works of art and sciences. Educating many scholars, they led civilization of their region.
The Syrian scholars focused on linguistics such as grammar, poetry and rhetoric. Moreover, they worked in the fields of logic, philosophy, natural sciences, mathematics, astronomy, geology and medical sciences. These valuable scholars got into depth of theoretic theology, ethics, church and social law and made landmark works in these fields. Through their long history, they mentioned religious history, geography, spiritual music, story telling. In general they covered most parts of human education and carried light of knowledge to furthest parts of eastern and western world.
Although Greek literature was a model for Syrian and Latin literature due to its richness and perfection, in general it couldn’t compete with perfection of the Syrian literature.
The Syrians are a society who had the most compelling historical documents in the times of the Romans, Persians, Byzantine, Arabs, Moguls and Turks. While Greek scholars had a profound influence in the 4th century A.D. Edessa (Urfa) School was not late to translate the most popular writings into Syrian. Edessa School started giving Greek education and became one of the most famous schools until end of the 12th century. On the other hand some Syrian scholars made efforts for translating some philosophical and scientific books first into Syrian and then to Arabic. Since the originals of religious books written in Greek were lost, through the contribution of this translation movement and efforts developed around it, they could be saved. Works of art created by the Syrian scholars were used as a source of guide at their period and translated into several languages.
The Syrians who are descendants of a five-thousand-year-long rich history and culture, do live in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and India with an estimate population of five million. However, in the last quarter of the 20th century, most of their population left Turkey and Middle East and immigrated to Europe and Scandinavian countries as well as to the USA and Australia.
Syriac, "The Edessa Dialect of Aramaic", is one of the Semitic languages which some portions of the Bible, such as the prophecy of Prophet Daniel and Gospel of Matthew were written with.
According to some scientists Syriac is the most ancient language of the world, nevertheless is out of question that it is one of the most ancient languages. The first proof of its being very ancient is the verse of Genesis 31:47 written in this language at 1750 BC.
Syriac consists total of 22 letters, six of them (b,g,d,k,f,t) being mild or consonant and hard letters, being also of double pronunciation with special marks. Syriac is most delightful and rich language which covers all sorts of ancient sciences, sufficient to express and describe all things occurs in ones mind, all feelings and thoughts. Syriac was the mother language of the peoples living in Iraq, Cezire, Mesopotamia and Syria. It was spread out through all the Persian Kingdom and was also spread amongst the neighboring nations of Syrians.
The language remained for long years as official language of the Near East countries. It was spread throughout Egypt, Asia Minor and Arabian Peninsula. As was also spread even unto south China and Malabar region of India; the language is still used in the churches of these areas. It was used in very wide areas until Arabic language became a rival language to Syriac by the end of 7th and the beginning of 8th century. After that, usage of Syriac was gradually decreased and it was only used in villages and rural areas. Yet in spite of this it was still used by many writers and scientists.
The places where this language was best used are, Edessa (Urfa), Harran, Humus, Apamea and Syria surroundings. The pagans of Harran were using this language in their writings until the end of 9th century. This language was used widespreadly in many regions of Cezire and Armenia until the end of 13th century.
Lord Jesus Christ and His disciples and Mother Mary using this language would be a sufficient evidence for Syriac to be superior over all other languages. It is the first language used in the church ceremonies. Syrian scholars translating Greek works into Syriac, then into Arabic had a valuable and praiseworthy share in this subject. The language is still used in worship.
At the beginning of sixth century in regard to its writing form and spelling, it was divided into two dialect as East and West Syriac, according to its geographical usage. The Syriac spoken in Syria was called the West, and the one spoken in Mesopotamia, Iraq and Azerbaijan was called the east dialect.
The most important works survived down to our times in this language is the Psitton (Peshitta) translation of the Old and New Testaments. Except the differences happened in divided dialects of this language, the language did not undergo any change since its construction. The survived passages of the Old Testament and the Poems of philosopher Vafa written in this language proves that the language used today is as the same one used in the old times. Nevertheless, as the Antonius of Tikrit stated, some words were forgotten as some regarded useless, and according to Yakup of Bertello also many words disappeared in this language which are only used in Arabic language today.
There are neither ancient grammar nor any linguistic books of this language available. Because, like Arabian Syrian were using their language in a most simple and natural form. The first grammar book was made at the end of 7th century.
The Turkish muslim genocide against Assyrians, Armenians and Greek Christians will never be forgotten...no matter how much your central asians try to do so.
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