Dereiçi, Savur

Dereiçi, also called Kellef, is a village located 60 km northeast of the city of Mardin in Turkey. It is situated on the old road between Mardin and Cizre. The village is sometimes called "Turabdin's paradise".

Dereiçi is situated in a valley near Mount Qoros, which reaches a height of 1500 meters. Crops grown in the Dereiçi area include grain, grapes, tree fruit and vegetables. Along the slopes, grapes are cultivated. Earlier, a logging industry floated timber down the river Tigris to Mosul in Iraq.

The nearby village of Qalok, which lay between Savur and Dereiçi, was the first to be connected with Rome, established by deacon Abd an-Nur of Qaloq during his visit to Rome in the 1500s. Bishop Mor Philoxenos Yohanun Dolabani was born there. Qalok was destroyed during World War I. Another former village in the area was Meshte, 3 km away, where preserved ruins and caves persist. Mother Shem'un emigrated fromm that village and built the historic monastery of Mor Gabriel outside Midyat. The village of Ain djaus, with Mor Shabai monastery, is 3 km from Dereiçi.

History

Most of the villages were razed during the time of the Mongols in 1300 – the time of Tamerlane. Few people survived in these villages, during the largest genocide that Syrians experienced in the area. Tamerlane destroyed the churches and monasteries in the area and killed hundreds of bishops, priests and nuns as well as thousands of residents. Abay and Shabai were among the monasteries that were destroyed. Bishop Saliba of Dereiçi wrote a history of the church in 1715 AD.

Christianity

Kellef is one of the oldest villages in the "Turabdin". The village was founded by Syrians. Kellef was the first local village to convert to Christianity. "Mother Abay" is an historic monastery located 2 km northwest of the village. According to tradition, St. Abay, originally from Persia, was killed in the village along with two monks by his own father in 360 AD. After murdering his son, St. Abay's father returned to Persia where he became seriously ill with a skin disease. An angel appeared to his wife while she was sleeping and told her that her husband had to return to Kellef and rub his body with the earth where his son's blood was shed. Only then would he become healthy again. The king then went back to the village and did as the angel had demanded. After returning to Persia, he became healthy, converted to Christianity and built the monastery "Mother Abay".

Mother Theodute built the Monastery named "'appeal' El-rose" in the late 700s. Theodute was from the monastery of Qenneshrin. He wandered in Mesopotamia, building monasteries and churches. Eventually, he became bishop of the city of Mardin. When he became ill, he moved to Kellef and built the monastery. People of strong faith with migraines seek out this monastery to be healed.

The Persian physician "Dometius" also lived in Kellef (also known as "Cyrrhe" and "Killis"). After becoming a Christian, he became known locally as a miracle worker. The monastery of "Mother Dimeth" was dedicated to him. He had been a ruler who persecuted the Christians and killed them. Once when he was sleeping, an angel appeared to him and commanded him to cease his persecutions. The angel punished "Dometius" with rheumatism. The next day he rode to the Christian villages where he met a monk who taught him and converted him.

He lived in the monastery for many years and taught Christian doctrine. Later, the angel appeared again to "Dometius" and told him that he would be a miracle worker and cure all kinds of diseases, but especially rheumatism. After this, he travelled around the area and healed the sick. Finally, "Mother Dimeth" (as he later came to be called), return to Kellef, where he later died.

His monastery is located 2 km outside Kellef. The monastery is called "Deyr Deyr rih" in Arabic. Since his death, his tomb has been visited each year by the faithful of neighboring villages seeking cures.

Coordinates: 37°32′54″N 40°57′38″E / 37.54833°N 40.96056°E