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I couldn't sleep and was reading through Geoffrey Khan's grammar of the Neo-Aramaic dialect of Qaraqosh (Brill, 2002) last night and found the following interesting information on the history of Christianity (Orthodox and otherwise) in the area in the book's introductory material (p. 2-6). I figured I would share it here even though it is not an ecclesiastical source, because not a lot is generally known about Christianity's history in Mesopotamia outside of its large association with Nestorianism and the Persian Church and its legends (Mar Mari & Addai, the Persian martyrologies, etc.), and in fact Qaraqosh has had an Orthodox presence (unfortunately referred to as "monophysite" at the source; again, it's not an ecclesiastical source, or even actually primarily about this history) for many centuries, and is intimately tied to the history of Orthodoxy in Iraq, as many of its inhabitants came from Takrit, which until the 11th century was a large center of Syriac Orthodoxy in the country, being the home of great Syriac Orthodox theologians like Abu Ra'ita al Takiriti (d. circa 830), and patriarchs like HH St. Quryaqos of Takrit (d. 817) and others. (The Church was apparently headquartered in Takrit for several centuries before they were eventually forced to move to other places after the coming of the Muslims, with the Maphrian eventually settling in Mosul; see below.)
Of the region's Christian history, Khan writes (p. 2-3):
Concerning the churches themselves, Khan writes (p. 4-6):
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The text subsequently talks about the three monasteries in the area (of Mar Quryaqos, Mar Muqartaya, and Mar Behnam, respectively), but I will omit them because they appear to have all been under the control of the Catholics since the nineteenth century, and there is no mention of Syriac Orthodox founding or figures connected to them outside of Mor John of Daylam's founding of Mar Muqartaya and the monastery of Mar Behnam passing over to the Catholics in 1839 and subsequently being left without residents. Lord have mercy.
Of the region's Christian history, Khan writes (p. 2-3):
According to a local legend, the inhabitants of Qaraqosh were converted to Christianity in the seventh century AD by John of Daylam, a saint of Iranian origin. He is said to have defeated the idol known as Yay, whom the people used to worship at that time, and to have founded a church that was situated on the site of Mar Mqurtaya, a monastery that now lies in ruins about a mile outside of Qaraqosh. This account is clearly ahistorical. There is evidence that the town practiced Nestorian Christianity before the seventh century. Around 615 AD, it changed its allegiance to the monophysite Jacobite church. This was part of a general wave of conversion from Nestorianism to Monophysitism that took place in numerous villages and monasteries in the region at the beginning of the seventh century. The conversion of Qaraqosh and various neighboring monasteries to Monophysitism seems to have been largely due to the activities of a certain Shāwūr, who was a zealous missionary for the monophysite church and is described in a Nestorian source as 'the apostate of Bet Xudayda'.
In the eleventh and early twelfth centuries many Christians from Takrit settled in Qaraqosh. Already at the end of the tenth century, the Christians had begun to leave Takrit on account of religious persecution. By the end of the eleventh century the situation came to a head and the remaining Christian community was forced to flee or convert to Islam. The monophysite primate, known as the maphryan, who had his seat in Takrit, settled in Mosul. The size of the wave of immigrants from Takrit who settled in Qaraqosh is unknown, but their arrival appears to have brought about a major demographic change. The Takriti immigrants evidently enjoyed a certain social prestige, no doubt on account of the erstwhile status of Takrit as the seat of the maphryan and also due to the material wealth of many members of the community. The impact of this immigration was such that a local tradition developed, which is still current today, that the entire population of Qaraqosh is descended from the Takriti settlers. Several families in Qaraqosh today, moreover, still claim to have ties of kinship with Muslim families in Takrit, whose ancestors were converts from Christianity.
[...]
Catholicism was brought to Qaraqosh in the middle of the eighteenth century. Syrian Catholic missionaries first established themselves in the town in 1761 whe nthey set up an altar in the shrine of the martyrs that is attached to the Church of St. George. Certain groups of Jacobite Christians in Syria had entered into union with Rome already in the middle of the sixteenth century, but Catholicism did not spread to Iraq for another two centuries. The Catholic missionaries soon had many followers in Qaraqosh and around 1770 one of its churches, the church of St. James, was given over to the Catholic community.
In the eleventh and early twelfth centuries many Christians from Takrit settled in Qaraqosh. Already at the end of the tenth century, the Christians had begun to leave Takrit on account of religious persecution. By the end of the eleventh century the situation came to a head and the remaining Christian community was forced to flee or convert to Islam. The monophysite primate, known as the maphryan, who had his seat in Takrit, settled in Mosul. The size of the wave of immigrants from Takrit who settled in Qaraqosh is unknown, but their arrival appears to have brought about a major demographic change. The Takriti immigrants evidently enjoyed a certain social prestige, no doubt on account of the erstwhile status of Takrit as the seat of the maphryan and also due to the material wealth of many members of the community. The impact of this immigration was such that a local tradition developed, which is still current today, that the entire population of Qaraqosh is descended from the Takriti settlers. Several families in Qaraqosh today, moreover, still claim to have ties of kinship with Muslim families in Takrit, whose ancestors were converts from Christianity.
[...]
Catholicism was brought to Qaraqosh in the middle of the eighteenth century. Syrian Catholic missionaries first established themselves in the town in 1761 whe nthey set up an altar in the shrine of the martyrs that is attached to the Church of St. George. Certain groups of Jacobite Christians in Syria had entered into union with Rome already in the middle of the sixteenth century, but Catholicism did not spread to Iraq for another two centuries. The Catholic missionaries soon had many followers in Qaraqosh and around 1770 one of its churches, the church of St. James, was given over to the Catholic community.
Concerning the churches themselves, Khan writes (p. 4-6):
There are seven churches in Qaraqosh, the majority of which were founded at an early period. None of them, however, survive today in their original structures on account of the damage inflicted on them in recent centuries, especially during the devastation of the town by Nādir Shāh in 1743.
1. The church of the Immaculate Virgin (al-Tāhira)
This consists of an old and a new church building. The new church, which was completed in 1948, is the largest church in town and, indeed, the largest in Iraq. It is generally referred to by inhabitants of the town as 'ita rabta 'The big church'. The old church, which opens onto the same inner court, was restored in 1745, after being burned in the invasion of Nādir Shāh, and again in 1925. It contains some monuments from an earlier period, including a font bearing an inscription dated 1521 and tomestone inscriptions from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It is reported that earlier tombstones from the Middle Ages ave been found in the church, but these have now disappeared.
2. The church of Saint Zena
This is named after a martyred Jacobite monk of the seventh century who originated from the region of Takrit. The cult of this saint seems to have been brought to the town by the Chrisian immigrants from Takrit in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, at which period the church may have been founded. Another church of Mar Zena is used by the Takriti community of Mosul. The church in Qaraqosh was rebuilt in 1589, then restored in 1743 and 1744.
3. The church of Saint Sergius (Sarkis) and Saint Bacchus (Bakos)
The cult of Saint Sergius and his companion Bacchus, Roman army officers from Syria who were martyred in the fourth century, was virtually monopolized by the Jacobite Christians in the second half of the sixth century. According to legend, it was founded by John of Daylam when he converted the town to Christianity. It is probably one of the earliest Jacobite churches built in the area is is still in the hands of the Syrian orthodox community of the town today. After the invasion of Nādir Shāh it was the first church in the town to be restored.
4. The church of Shmoni or Bi-Shmoni ('The family of Shmoni')
This church is named after a woman known in Syriac tradition as Marta Shamoni and her seven sons, who accepted torture and death at the hands of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the second century B.C. The Bi- prefixed to the name is a contraction of Bet 'house, family'. The present building contains an ornate door that is datable to the twelfth century. It is today still in the hands of the Syrian orthodox community of the town.
5. The church of Saint George (Mar Gorgis)
The original structure of this church is datable back to at least the thirteenth century. There is a martyrion (Syriac bēt sāhdē) attached to it, where the first Catholic altar was established in 1768. The church, however, has remained Syrian orthodox.
6. The church of Saint John (Mar Ḥana)
This was originally the church belonging to the monastery of Mār Yōḥannān Būsnāyā, named after a saint from the region of Ba Busnaya, situated between Alqosh and 'Ayn Sifni. The church was demolished in 1893 and newly reconstructed in 1909. An inscription has been found from the original church datable to the thirteenth century that refers to the Tartar invasions.
7. The church of Saint James (Mar Ya'qob) or of Saint Andrew (Mar Andrawəs)
Some sources refer to this as the church of Saint James the hermit (al-muqaṭṭa'), who was a martyr from the sixth century. The present building was constructed in 1744 after an earlier structure had been in 1743. In 1770 the church became the first to be given over to the Catholics for their use.
1. The church of the Immaculate Virgin (al-Tāhira)
This consists of an old and a new church building. The new church, which was completed in 1948, is the largest church in town and, indeed, the largest in Iraq. It is generally referred to by inhabitants of the town as 'ita rabta 'The big church'. The old church, which opens onto the same inner court, was restored in 1745, after being burned in the invasion of Nādir Shāh, and again in 1925. It contains some monuments from an earlier period, including a font bearing an inscription dated 1521 and tomestone inscriptions from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It is reported that earlier tombstones from the Middle Ages ave been found in the church, but these have now disappeared.
2. The church of Saint Zena
This is named after a martyred Jacobite monk of the seventh century who originated from the region of Takrit. The cult of this saint seems to have been brought to the town by the Chrisian immigrants from Takrit in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, at which period the church may have been founded. Another church of Mar Zena is used by the Takriti community of Mosul. The church in Qaraqosh was rebuilt in 1589, then restored in 1743 and 1744.
3. The church of Saint Sergius (Sarkis) and Saint Bacchus (Bakos)
The cult of Saint Sergius and his companion Bacchus, Roman army officers from Syria who were martyred in the fourth century, was virtually monopolized by the Jacobite Christians in the second half of the sixth century. According to legend, it was founded by John of Daylam when he converted the town to Christianity. It is probably one of the earliest Jacobite churches built in the area is is still in the hands of the Syrian orthodox community of the town today. After the invasion of Nādir Shāh it was the first church in the town to be restored.
4. The church of Shmoni or Bi-Shmoni ('The family of Shmoni')
This church is named after a woman known in Syriac tradition as Marta Shamoni and her seven sons, who accepted torture and death at the hands of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the second century B.C. The Bi- prefixed to the name is a contraction of Bet 'house, family'. The present building contains an ornate door that is datable to the twelfth century. It is today still in the hands of the Syrian orthodox community of the town.
5. The church of Saint George (Mar Gorgis)
The original structure of this church is datable back to at least the thirteenth century. There is a martyrion (Syriac bēt sāhdē) attached to it, where the first Catholic altar was established in 1768. The church, however, has remained Syrian orthodox.
6. The church of Saint John (Mar Ḥana)
This was originally the church belonging to the monastery of Mār Yōḥannān Būsnāyā, named after a saint from the region of Ba Busnaya, situated between Alqosh and 'Ayn Sifni. The church was demolished in 1893 and newly reconstructed in 1909. An inscription has been found from the original church datable to the thirteenth century that refers to the Tartar invasions.
7. The church of Saint James (Mar Ya'qob) or of Saint Andrew (Mar Andrawəs)
Some sources refer to this as the church of Saint James the hermit (al-muqaṭṭa'), who was a martyr from the sixth century. The present building was constructed in 1744 after an earlier structure had been in 1743. In 1770 the church became the first to be given over to the Catholics for their use.
+++
The text subsequently talks about the three monasteries in the area (of Mar Quryaqos, Mar Muqartaya, and Mar Behnam, respectively), but I will omit them because they appear to have all been under the control of the Catholics since the nineteenth century, and there is no mention of Syriac Orthodox founding or figures connected to them outside of Mor John of Daylam's founding of Mar Muqartaya and the monastery of Mar Behnam passing over to the Catholics in 1839 and subsequently being left without residents. Lord have mercy.
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