Tur Abdin'e yakından bakış: Mardin'in Zaz köyündeki kilise kompleksi. Mimarisi, tarihi ve günümüzdeki yeniden canlandırma süreci

Tur Abdin, an area which is known as ?the Mount Athos of the East?, a limestone plateau on the south-east region of modern Turkey, should be considered a significant territory in terms of the development of an early Christian presence and the shaping of ecclesiastical architecture following the conversions of Edessa and Nisibis, which are generally accepted as having taken place approximately the 3rd and 4th centuries, respectively. The plateau was conquered by the Moslem Arabs in the mid-7th century; and interestingly, the region appears to have flourished following this event, as visible through intense building activity.This thesis focuses on one of the lesser-known monuments of Tur Abdin possibly dating to this time period: the church of Mor Dimet located in the village of Zaz to the north-east of Midyat. Based on four field-trips to Tur Abdin, the architectural surveys I have conducted on-site and previous scholarly works, this study attempts to analyze the architecture of the monument, identify the building phases, reassess its dating, and contextualize these findings within wider architectural and ecclesiastical history of Tur Abdin, which has hitherto been studied generally through the most prominent ecclesiastical monuments of the plateau. Along with the church?s architectural history, this thesis discusses the contemporary situation of the monument, including its physical layout and social functions. Furthermore, the conclusions drawn from the survey of the monument, along with further explorations in Tur Abdin, have prompted enquiries regarding monastic spaces and communities, burials in churches and the hierotopical context of Tur Abdin. Although these issues are not discussed in-depth in the current study, they are addressed and interpreted, with the intention of prompting further studies on the region.