Mount Alfaf ( syr, ܛܘܪܐ ܕܐܠܦܦ, ṭūrāʾ Alfaf), also known as Mount Maqlub (جبل مقلوب in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

), is a mountain in the Nineveh Plains region in northern

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. The mountain lies 30 km to the northeast of

Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...

and some 15 km from

Bartella Bartella (; ar, برطلّة) is a town that is located in the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq, about east of Mosul. Bartella was liberated from ISIL control on October 20, 2016 by Iraqi Special Operations Forces along with the Nineveh Plain ...

. The largest town on the mountain is Merki, which is inhabited by

Syriac Orthodox , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascu ...

Christians. The mountain is famous for the

Mar Mattai Monastery Dayro d-Mor Mattai ( syr, ܕܝܪܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܡܬܝ;''The Monastery of St. Matthew'', Arabic, دير مار متى) is a Syriac Orthodox Church monastery on Mount Alfaf in northern Iraq. It is located 20 kilometers northeast of the city of Mosul, ...

which lies close to its southern summit. There exist a number of hermitages that date back to the 4th and 5th century AD, the most important of which are: *Mar Mattai hermitage, where according to Syriac tradition, Sara, sister of

Mar Behnam Saints Behnam, Sarah, and the Forty Martyrs were 4th-century Christians who suffered martyrdom during the reign of Shapur II. They are venerated as saints in the Oriental Orthodox Church. Biography According to their hagiography, Behnam and Sara ...

, was miraculously cured of leprosy by

Mar Mattai Saint Matthew the Hermit (Arabic: القديس مار متى الناسك; syr, ܡܪܝ ܡܬܝ ''Mor Mattai'') was a 4th-century Christian priest. He is venerated as a saint in the Oriental Orthodox Church and his feast day is 18 September. Biog ...

. * Bar Hebraeus hermitage which was occupied by Bar Hebraeus during his lifetime. *The spy's hermitage which lies at the top of the mountain and was used as a sentry to warn the occupants of the monastery of bandits.

References

Nineveh Plains Alfaf Alfaf {{Iraq-geo-stub

See also

References