The trip of today was designed by Bassam and Teresa. We visited desolated villages again, but now with another approach: who are the people living in this villages? Did they stay during the troublesome years or did they leave and came back?
We visited Arkah, Nusaybin (and Mar Yakup), Kafro and Ingwardo. We would also liked to visit Arbo, the native village of Sabri Atman. Said told us that it was not possible because of army protection.
Arkah (or Üçköy, or new Mahalle)
Later we were introduced to a ‘cousin’ of Said who is living in Germany and told us that he was in Midyat because they want to rebuild his native village Arbo. He told us his dream was the gather all the relatives and inhabitants back to Arbo. He also told us that he just came from Arbo. We were a little surprised because Said had told us that it was impossible to go to Arbo. Gerco asked the cousin why it was impossible for us to go to Arbo. The men was very honest and told us that the army is deporting the people, Kurdish bedouins that are living at the moment in Arbo. It confronted us again with the complex political situation in the area. Later we saw the exodus of the bedouin women, children and old men with their whole existence on donkeys accompanied by the military.
Nusaybin is the border city with Syria and the base of one of the oldest university in the area: We could see Syria! It showed again the cultural importance and richness of the history of the Tur Abdin.
Ingwardo
Ingwardo is a village in ‘our’ neighborhood, an incredible nice journey through the mountainous area. Ingwardo is also the place where the family of Emanuel Shamas (our Suryoye connection in Hengelo) comes from.
A lot of the monasteries are strategic placed and you get the idea it is often also a shelter in the physical sense.
Said did surprise us during this trip because he told us about his adventure in the Netherlands. He stayed in Hengelo and asked for asylum which was refused. He did not tell why but perhaps because his non Christian name and looks. Although as we noticed he was a real Suryoye. You are wondering why some people are accepted and others are refused.