Mor Behnam (Forty) Monastery

Another of the Syrian monasteries located in Mardin is the Mor Behnam Church of the Forty. Built in 539 AD, the monastery has two separate impressive stories. According to one of the stories, it was built in memory of Mor Behnam and his murdered brother after Mor Behnam was killed for taking his sick brother to Mor Matay. According to another story, it is known as the Church of the Forty because it is the burial place of the bones of 40 Christians who were killed during the Roman occupation. The church, which has been used by the Syrians as the Old Patriarchal Center since 1293, was used as a Syrian school between 1789 and 1928, as well as a church service.