Çatalçam, Dargeçit

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Çatalçam is a small Syriac Christian neighbourhood in the Dargeçit district of Mardin Province, Turkey. It sits on the slope of Mount Eloyo in the Tur Abdin region and is home to a few churches: Mor Aḥō, the Holy Cross, Mor Ḥworo, and Mor Barṣawmo. The area is known for the Dayro da-Ṣlibo, also called the Monastery of the Cross, which was founded in the 6th century by Mor Aḥō and possibly even earlier. The monastery was a major religious center that once housed many monks and helped train church leaders.

In 1914, about 400 Syriac Christians lived in Dayro da-Ṣlibo. During the Sayfo (massacres) era around 1915, Kurds and Ottoman forces besieged the monastery for about three months. Many Syriacs were killed, but the defenders held on for a time before the attackers withdrew. After these events, the village declined, with periods of violence and displacement.

Over the decades, the community dwindled. By 1992, the cemetery and houses were destroyed and residents were evacuated, though some later returned. The population was only 13 people around 2000, with a nun and a few Christian families living there by 2005. In 2013, two Syriac families remained. A land dispute with a neighboring Kurdish clan was resolved in 2015 after military intervention. By 2021, Çatalçam had 33 residents.