View source for Mor Hananyo Monastery

{{Infobox monastery
| name           =The Monastery of St. Ananias 
| image          =[[File:Deyrulzaferan.jpg|240px]]
| alt            =
| caption        =
| full           =
| other_names    =Dayro d-Mor Hananyo
| order          =[[Syriac Orthodox Church]]
| established    =493
| disestablished =
| nodislink      =
| mother         =
| dedication     =Mor Hananyo
| diocese        =
| churches       =Church of the Mother of God, Beth Kadishe
| founder        =Mor Shlemon 
| abbot          =
| prior          =
| people         =
| location       =Near [[Mardin]], [[Turkey]]
| map_type       =Turkey
| latitude       =
| longitude      =
| latd           =37
| latm           =17
| lats           =
| latNS          =
| longd          =40
| longm          =47
| longs          =
| longEW         =
| coord          =
| oscoor         =
| remains        =
| public_access  =
| other_info     =
}}
'''Dayro d-Mor Hananyo''' ({{lang-syr|ܕܝܪܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܚܢܢܝܐ}}; ''The Monastery of St. Ananias'', [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]]: {{transl|kur|''Dêra Zehferanê''}}) is an important [[Syriac Orthodox Church|Syriac Orthodox]] [[monastery]].The monastery is located in the region known as [[Tur Abdin]] and is  five kilometers east of  [[Mardin]] in [[Turkey]].

It is usually better known by its nickname, the 'Saffron Monastery' ({{lang-syr|ܕܝܪܐ ܕܟܘܪܟܡܐ}}, ''{{transl|syr|Dairo d-Kurkmo}}''; {{lang-ar|دير الزعفران}}, ''{{transl|ar|Dairu 'l-Za‘farān}}'') which is derived from the warm colour of its stone.

==History==
Dayro d-Mor Hananyo was founded in 493 by Mor Shlemon on the site of a temple dedicated to the Assyrian sun god [[Shamash]] that was converted into a citadel by the Romans. After the Romans withdrew from the fortress, Mor Shlemon transformed it into a monastery.<ref>http://cso-france.voila.net/Monastere_Safran.htm</ref> In 793 the monastery was renovated after a period of decline, by the Bishop of [[Mardin]] and Kfartuta, Mor Hananyo, who gave the monastery its current name. 

The monastery was later abandoned and re-founded by the bishop of Mardin, John, who carried out important renovations before he died at the monastery on the 12th of July 1165.<ref>http://www.syrianchurch.org/ch/saffronmonastery.htm</ref> From 1160 until 1932 it was the official seat of the patriarch of the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]], afterwards it was moved to [[Damascus]].

The monastery has 365 rooms - one for each day of the year.

<gallery>
Image:Mor_Hananyo.jpg
<!-- Deleted image removed: Image:Mor hanayo monastery.jpg -->
Image:Zaferan.jpg|Close-up picture of a column inside the monastery 
File:Bible and Pulpit, Mor Hananyo.jpg|Bible and Pulpit
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Mount Izla]]
*[[Syriac Orthodox Church]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons|Category:Deyrulzaferan}}
* {{Official website|http://www.deyrulzafaran.org/ }}
* [http://www.deyrulzafaran.com.tr Charity House]
* [http://syrianchurch.org/ch/SaffronMonastery.htm Presentation]
* [http://sor.cua.edu/ChMon/MardinDKurkmo/index.html Presentation]

{{coord|37.2994|40.7926|display=title|region:TR_type:landmark}}

[[Category:Christian monasteries in Turkey]]
[[Category:Syriac Orthodox monasteries]]
[[Category:Assyrian settlements]]
[[Category:Syriac people]]

[[Category:493 establishments]]
[[Category:Christian monasteries established in the 5th century]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Mardin Province]]

{{OrientalOrthodox-church-stub}}
{{Turkey-church-stub}}
{{Christian-monastery-stub}}
{{Syriac monasteries}}