The monastery is just as large as the one at Mardin, and actually has the name of Gabriel monastery. On the left in the first picture you can see the dormitory where the refugees from Syria will have stayed. This monastery is right on the border of Syria.
There are various pictures of the previous bishops and monks who have lived and served here. It is claimed to have been founded by St. Samuel in 397 A.D. but the buildings you see are certainly more recent. Neither of these monasteries houses the oldest church in the area. That is the church of St. Jacob which we will visit next which was also the church of Ephrem of Syria.
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