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Nusaybin is a small city on the Turkish border with Syria. It’s on the southern edge of the Tur Abdin region in Southeastern Anatolia.
Introduction to Nusaybin
Nusaybin was first mentioned in 901 BC as Naṣibīna, which was an Aramean city captured by Assyrian king Adad-Nirari II in 896 BC. It was later ruled by the Babylonians and Achaemenid Persians before Alexander the Great took control in 332 BC. The Seleucids then ruled after Alexander’s empire was carved up.
The Seleucids re-founded the city as Antiochia Mygdonia (Ἀντιόχεια τῆς Μυγδονίας). By the 1st century under the Romans, it was known as Nisibis (Νίσιβις). Most of its residents were Syriac speakers and there was a large Jewish community.
Nisibis was the capital of the Roman province of Mesopotamia until 337 and was ceded to the Sassanids in 363. The citizens evacuated to Amida (modern Diyarbakır) and Edessa (modern Urfa). The Byzantines later built the outpost of Anastasioupolis (Dara) nearby to prevent further Persian incursions into their territory.
Nisibis was captured by the Rashidun Caliphate under Umar in 639 or 640. In 942, it was taken by the Byzantines and quickly retaken by the Arabs. The Artuqids took the city in 1120, and it was subsequently ruled by the Zengids, Ayyubids, Mongols, Aq Qoyunlu, Kara Koyunlu, and Safavids. The Ottomans took over in 1515.
Today, Nusaybin is a predominantly Kurdish city. It has relied on cross-border trade with neighboring Qamishli, but has suffered since the border closed after war broke out in Syria. There was also violence between the Turkish Army and Kurdish PKK forces from 2015 to 2016. There’s very little reason to visit other than to see the ruined Mor Yakup Church.
Getting to Nusaybin
The best way to get to Nusaybin is with your own transportation. There are, however, buses from Mardin and Midyat. The bus terminal is on the north side of town. The nearest Turkish airport is in Mardin (MQM). The border with Qamishli remains closed (as of September 2024).
Getting Around Nusaybin
If traveling by bus, you can hire a taxi at the bus terminal to take you to the Mor Yakup Church and back. We drove directly to the church and were in town for less than a half hour. There’s nothing else to see and no other reason to stick around.
Mor Yakup Church
The Mor Yakup Church (Mor Yakup Kilisesi) is the highlight in Nusaybin. Also known as the Church of St. Jacob, it was built between 313 and 320 by Jacob of Nisibis (Mor Yakup). He was the bishop of the city until his death. The building is actually the baptistry of one of the largest cathedrals ever built in the Middle East. Admission is free but donations are accepted (as of September 2024). It’s open daily but keep in mind the caretaker closes at noon for an hour.
The Mor Yakup Church was excavated and restored between 2000 and 2017. Concrete houses located between the church and the Zeynel Abidin Mosque were demolished and remains were discovered over an area of 4,000 square meters. In addition to the Nisibis Cathedral, the foundations of structures belonging to the Artuqid period have also been discovered.
Sections of the Church
The church consists of two sections and contains Late Roman and Early Byzantine architectural features. The northern section was an addition constructed in the 8th century. It measures 7 x 9.5 meters (23 x 31 feet) and is the tourist entrance today.
The southern section of the building measures 7 x 7 meters (23 x 23 feet) and is divided into two parts. A Greek inscription dated 359 indicates it was built as a baptistry, making it the world’s oldest. A dome built in 1872 covers the eastern half.
Stairways leading from both sections lead down to a crypt added to the church in 1872. It contains the sarcophagus of St. Jacob of Nisibis.
Zeynel Abidin Mosque
The Zeynel Abidin Mosque (Zeynel Abidin Camii) is few steps from the Mor Yakup Church. It’s part of a religious complex containing a madrasa, fountains, and tombs. The tombs belong to Zayn al-Abidin (c. 658-712), known in Turkish as Zeynel Abidin, and his sister Sitti Zeynep. The minaret was built in 1956 by a Syriac stone master and there’s a cemetery behind the mosque.
Zayn al-Abidin, also known as Ali al-Sajjad, was the great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the son of Husayn ibn Ali (626-680). He was born in Medina and was poisoned and killed by the Umayyads. His official resting place is in the Al-Baqi’ Cemetery in Medina, but according to interpretive signs at the site, his body was divided into several pieces. This tomb was constructed in 1159.
