Eastern Turkiye, September 6, 2026
A very long day of driving today - over 6 hours - but completely worth it!
We traveled from the area of the mountains of Ararat all the way south to Midyat. Our purpose was to attend a liturgical service at Mor Barsavmo Church. The church is an ancient Syriac Christian church that was founded in the 4th c AD.
In Midyat, there is still a community of Christians who speak 1st century Aramaic, the every day language of Jesus and his disciples. The service was chanted in Aramaic, a moving experience to sit listening and pondering that these words in this language were spoken by Jesus. After the service the priest was generous in taking time to answer questions. He even recited the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic and then chanted it in Aramaic. The priests allowed us to record the service!! Truly amazing. The church building is in the heart of the city and is in the heart of the city. Thanking God for a truly unique and inspiring experience.
At a stop along our drive today, we ran into a family that we met on the ferry in Van on day one! Carol had made quick friends with the two school boys in the family, one of whom has taught himself English. They had all exchanged What’s App contact info - and then we run into the whole family in a busy congested city 6 hours away! Crazy!
Tomorrow we begin heading down to the Syrian border to see another ancient monastery. Then we head west toward Haran, Urfa and Gobeklitepe.
Good night and God Bless, PB and Margery
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Entrance to Mor Barsavmo Church, Midyat. We attended a liturgical service sung in 1st century Aramaic - the language of Jesus!
