Upper Tyari, Be-Dalyatha

[u/Routine-Ad2608]

Hello, I am interested personally in the Syriac Christian traditions and I'm doing research on John of Dalyatha, born at the end of the 7th century in modern Duhok region, moved to Quardu mountains to enter Mar Yozadaq monastery. He left the monastery after 7 years to live in solitude in the mountains of Beth Dalyatha. I am looking for those places and have found that it should be in Upper Tyari district of Hakkari region. Indeed, up to 1915 there was a village named Be-Dalyatha with 12 families. Could anyone help me locate it?

[u/Similar-Machine8487]

“Syrian Christian” what do you mean?

[u/Routine-Ad2608 → u/Similar-Machine8487]

Assyrian Church of the East 

[u/Similar-Machine8487 → u/Routine-Ad2608]

Why are you using the term “Syrian Christian”?

[u/Routine-Ad2608 → u/Similar-Machine8487]

Should it be Syriac? In my own language we don't have this precise distinction. What would the equivalent difference be in the context of European cultures? 

[u/Similar-Machine8487 → u/Routine-Ad2608]

You are literally on a sub called r/ASSYRIA. I know you certainly aren’t this dense.

[u/donzorleone → u/Similar-Machine8487]

In a lot of history books it is East Syrian, Nestorian, etc they are all misnomeers no doubt but one of the only ways to research us especially in European or British texts. Im sure he means no harm.

[u/Similar-Machine8487 → u/donzorleone]

It was a rhetorical question. He probably does mean harm. A lot of these people looking to do “research” come from a specific demographic and have bias against our community. They use our communities for resources they can’t find on their own, and then write against us.

[u/Routine-Ad2608 → u/Similar-Machine8487]

I mean no harm. I come from Poland, I am not affiliated with any political movement or philosophy that is connected in any way with your nation. As I said, writing about John of Dalyatha. How could finding a village or a mountain be biased? I am sympathetic to your nation and its suffering. Why make everything political though? 

[u/Similar-Machine8487 → u/Routine-Ad2608]

Because our existence is political in the eyes of people. Language often has political implications, and by using verbose jargon like “Syrian Christian”, “Nestorian”, “Persian Church”, this works to undermine the Assyrian national identity. These terms are very intentionally used by European academics, as well as Turkish, Arab, and Kurdish academics and politicians, to undermine our existence. We have a right to be defensive.

[u/donzorleone → u/Similar-Machine8487]

Perhaps he does. Just sayin.

[u/Routine-Ad2608 → u/donzorleone]

Exactly. Even in academic books and articles. Nestorian Church, Persian Church, East Syrian etc. 

[u/donzorleone]

There is a tribe called Be Alatha, is that perhaps the tribe you are referring to?

[u/Routine-Ad2608 → u/donzorleone]

I don't know. Where did this tribe live? The place I am looking for has been called  Beth Dalyatha in the 8th century. Later, in the 19th century Be-Dalyatha or Dalyata. In one article it said that it was between villages of Chambra d-Malik and Dadosh

[u/Astro-Will → u/Routine-Ad2608]

It's most likely the village of Qalyatha.

https://www.assyrianroots.com/village/101/overview

Edit: It's not exactly between Dadosh and Chamba d Malik, but in the same general vicinity.

[u/Routine-Ad2608 → u/Astro-Will]

Thanks for the link! This whole area is so beautiful. Would a foreigner be welcomed to come and visit this region? May I ask, what makes you confident, that this might be the place? I read that Qallayatha means something like "monk's cells". Is that true? As for Dalyatha it is supposed to mean something like "of the vines". Are vines cultivated in this region? It must have been tough living in this area when it comes to agriculture. Lastly, I wonder if the fame of the Spiritual Saba (John) has somehow survived in the consciousness of the local people 

[u/verturshu → u/Routine-Ad2608]

would a foreigner be welcomed to come and visit this region?

Unfortunately, as for the areas in Turkey, we don’t really live there anymore. Kurds & Turks pretty much wiped out any Assyrian presence in the area during the Assyrian genocide and now it’s only Kurds who live there, except maybe a few Assyrian families sparsely spread out there. So we wouldn’t be able to welcome you there