TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL CENTERS BY SYRIANS
 

        The most bright periods of time which was the first and second grades of Syrian culture was the 1000years period between 4th and 13th century.  Many training and educational centers actively served the Syrian world in this period of time and exhibit profitable and important activities indeed.  A part of this training centers served in philosophy, philology and some other science branches, yet most of them gave training in theology area.  Most important of these schools are those:

1. Theology School of Edessa (Urfa):  Historical sources indicates that, this school was founded in the middle of the III. Century AD and started to give a true and superior quality of theological training by the year 363 AD.  By the great efforts of Mor Efrem, the Edessa Theological School enjoyed its most bright period of times following this date.  After its training services lasting 146 years, the school was closed in the year 498.  (Historical sources approves that the real active period of time of the school was between the years 363 and 498, when was reached its great fame.)

2. Zukanin Monastery:  Being founded in the 4th century AD nearby Diyarbakır city, the monastery started to give service by the name Mor Yuhanna Monastery and it became a science center in the middle of the same century.  This training center where many famous teachers of the Syrian Community also taught continued its activity until the middle of 10th century.

3. Mor Gabriel Monastery:  Founded at the year397 AD in Turabdin city, the monastery is also known as the Deyrulumur or Kartmin Monastery.  In a short time this important school became the center of the monks and of those devoting themselves to science;  from the middle of 5th century up to 11-12th century it also became the training center for many important persons where they were trained and graduated.

4. Usibona Monastery:  Being founded in the surroundings of Antioch, this monastery continued its training as an important training center of the area.

5. Great Tel’ado Monastery:  Being founded in Antioch, this monastery was found in the middle of 4th century together with the neighboring Usibona Monastery.  Following their establishment each of these monasteries became as training centers.  They reached a great fame between the years 690-700 by the superior efforts of Mor Yakup of Urfa.  It is also known that Mor Bünyamin the Archbishop of Urfa taught in Tel’ado monastery until the year 837.  It is supposed that these two monasteries continued their activities until the end of 10th century AD.

6. Mor Zakay Monastery:  It was founded near Rakka city (known also by the name Kalunikos) in the 5th century.  Starting its actual training at the early years of 6th century the school continued its services likewise until 10th century.

7. Kınneşrin Monastery:  It was founded across Cerablus (Kenneşrin) city at the east Euphrates river in the year 550 AD.  From the date founded until the beginning of 9th century this monastery became the greatest and most famous school giving training in science and theology fields at that time.  Through the qualified training this monastery gave, its fame reached everywhere and left all other monasteries behind.  Due to some events monastery lived a period of stagnation;  yet after overcoming this period returned to its bright days and continued its activities thus until 13th century.

8. Outer Well Monastery-Dayro Dgubo Baroyo:  The name of this monastery, where situated between Aleppo and Şamişat (Samosata) was heard at the 6th century.  Continued its services as an important training center from that time until 9th century.

9. Mor Matay Monastery:  Founded at the top of Elfaf mountain, east of Musul city towards the end of 4th century.  In reality the monastery started to give training in the years 600 on, continued its activity up to 13th century.

10. Amudo Monastery:  Situated near Ras’al-ayn in Cezire region.  It was used as a place for training and education for the period of 200 years, from 7th unto 9th century AD.

11. Karkafto Monastery:  Situated between Ras’al-ayn and Hasake in the neighborhood of Magdal village, this monastery is well known by its works in philology area.

12. Mor Hananyo Monastery:  This monastery was founded in the end of 4th century AD near Mardin, which is also known by Deyrulzafaran and Dayro Dkurkmo names.  But some researchers asserts that the foundation date of the monastery was in the last ten years of the 8th century.  Continuing its ministry as a science center for long time later began to move backward. Though afterwards the monastery was improved, yet never did return to its former bright days.

13. Mor Sargis Monastery:  Situated between Sincar and Balad on the Kahil Mountain (Turo Sahyo), the monastery supposedly started to give training and education at 8th century.  In 9th century the monastery reached the highest point of successfulness.

14.  Holy Mountain of Edessa (Urfa):  This mountain was full of monasteries by 5th and 6th centuries.  Some of these monasteries continued their activities as qualified training and educational foundations until the beginning of 13th century and were well known in the surroundings by this feature.

15. Mor Barsavmo Monastery:  Being constructed near Malatya city at the mid 5th century AD, this monastery showed activities as a nest of science from 8th until 13th century.

16. Mor Yuhanon Monastery:  It is a big monastery founded in Kardis city near Dara.  The information obtained through scientific records about the period of years 800 up to 1002 years of the monastery proofs that, it was a scientific center where Archbishop of Baghdad Mor Lazarus Bar Sabto also taught.

17. Eliyo Bar Gagi Monastery:  Founded in Hanzat area of Malatya at about 960 AD, the monastery becoming a scientific center thus continued its activities through the course of time.

18. Barid Monastery:  Being founded in Malatya and Hanzat area the monastery served in training and education field up to the year 1243.

19. Segisiye Monastery:  Founded in Malatya at the year 980.  Drawing attention on as a place where high scientific studies are made, this school continued its activities up to 12th century.

20. Malatya City:  The church named "Rahoto" which was situated in the same city, made important researches on philology and theology subjects in the beginning of 11th century.  Even the church was in a position of being called the center of these subjects.  But this church lost its importance at the end of 13th century.

21. Mor Ahrun Monastery:  Although the date of foundation of this old monastery in Kalisura is not definitely known, yet the opinion of its being founded about 5th century is widely accepted amongst the researchers.  Becoming like a scientific center in 11th century the monastery is known as the place where Mor Iğnatiyos III. the archbishop of Malatya has completed his study.

The main training and study centers of the Syrians were the monasteries and schools mentioned above.  But this also should be stated that, beside these mentioned centers there were also many patriarchate, episcopate centers and monasteries where training and education was served and many spiritual men and scientist have been raised up.