Batnaya
Encyclopedia
Batnaya is an Assyrian village located 14 miles north of Mosul
and around 3 miles north of Tel Keppe
.
The name Batnaya is of Aramaic origin derived from either "Beth Tnyay" meaning "The House of Mud" or "Beth Tnaya" meaning "The House of Assiduity".
In the past Batnaya used to be famous for making matting from the reeds
its people used to cultivate in the valley of al-Khoser river. Currently, some of its inhabitants are cultivating different kinds of crops while others are involved in non-agricultural trades.
Batnaya used to be called "Beth Madaye" meaning the "House of the Medes" where it's believed that a group of the Medes who followed the Median monk Oraham (Abraham) settled there around the seventh century. It's also believed that Christianity reached Batnaya around that time.
As all the other currently Assyrian villages who belong to the Chaldean Catholic Church
, Batnaya used to follow the Church of the East
, till the sixteenth century when finally the efforts of the Catholic Church gained fruit and the Eastern Church was divided. However, again as is the case with all the other villages of the plain of Nineveh, Catholicism did not gain ground till around mid 18th century.
Batnaya was attacked by the army of Nader Shah
in 1743 who destroyed the village extensively and is believed to have killed half of its inhabitants.
In 1944 the Mar Qeryaqos Church was built on the ruins of a monastery by the same name believed to have been built early 15th century. A second but smaller church Mart Maryam was built in 1866, while the church of Mar Gewargis was mentioned in an inscription dating 1745.
In Batnaya are several inscriptions, one dating to 1545 by Darweesh bin Yohanan from the village of Aqreen is entitled "Prayers for the Dead", another one is a complete bible inscribed in Syriac by the priest Ataya bin Faraj bin Marqos of Alqosh dating 1586.
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
and around 3 miles north of Tel Keppe
Tel Keppe
Tel Keppe , is one of the largest formerly Assyrian towns in Iraq. It is located in the Ninawa Governorate, less than 8 miles North East of Mosul in northern Iraq.-Etymology:...
.
The name Batnaya is of Aramaic origin derived from either "Beth Tnyay" meaning "The House of Mud" or "Beth Tnaya" meaning "The House of Assiduity".
In the past Batnaya used to be famous for making matting from the reeds
Reed (plant)
Reed is a generic polyphyletic botanical term used to describe numerous tall, grass-like plants of wet places, which are the namesake vegetation of reed beds...
its people used to cultivate in the valley of al-Khoser river. Currently, some of its inhabitants are cultivating different kinds of crops while others are involved in non-agricultural trades.
Batnaya used to be called "Beth Madaye" meaning the "House of the Medes" where it's believed that a group of the Medes who followed the Median monk Oraham (Abraham) settled there around the seventh century. It's also believed that Christianity reached Batnaya around that time.
As all the other currently Assyrian villages who belong to the Chaldean Catholic Church
Chaldean Catholic Church
The Chaldean Catholic Church , is an Eastern Syriac particular church of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic Church...
, Batnaya used to follow the Church of the East
Church of the East
The Church of the East tāʾ d-Maḏnḥāʾ), also known as the Nestorian Church, is a Christian church, part of the Syriac tradition of Eastern Christianity. Originally the church of the Persian Sassanid Empire, it quickly spread widely through Asia...
, till the sixteenth century when finally the efforts of the Catholic Church gained fruit and the Eastern Church was divided. However, again as is the case with all the other villages of the plain of Nineveh, Catholicism did not gain ground till around mid 18th century.
Batnaya was attacked by the army of Nader Shah
Nader Shah
Nāder Shāh Afshār ruled as Shah of Iran and was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty. Because of his military genius, some historians have described him as the Napoleon of Persia or the Second Alexander...
in 1743 who destroyed the village extensively and is believed to have killed half of its inhabitants.
In 1944 the Mar Qeryaqos Church was built on the ruins of a monastery by the same name believed to have been built early 15th century. A second but smaller church Mart Maryam was built in 1866, while the church of Mar Gewargis was mentioned in an inscription dating 1745.
In Batnaya are several inscriptions, one dating to 1545 by Darweesh bin Yohanan from the village of Aqreen is entitled "Prayers for the Dead", another one is a complete bible inscribed in Syriac by the priest Ataya bin Faraj bin Marqos of Alqosh dating 1586.