Monastery of Saint John of Dailam

The Monastery of Saint John of Dailam, also known as Naqortaya and Muqurtaya (Syriac: ܕܝܪܐ ܢܩܘܪܬܝܐ, romanized: dayrā naqortāyā, lit.

However, the oldest attested mention of the monastery dates back to the late 9th century, and another Syriac manuscript states that it was consecrated in 1115.

Bar Hebraeus records that in 1261 the monastery was raided by the Kurds, who burned it down and killed its monks,[1] and was abandoned until it was rebuilt in 1563.

The monastery was excavated and rebuilt in 1998 and has an ancient carved altar and a large courtyard with a fountain and a statue.

The Naqurtaya monastery is visited by thousands of Syriac Orthodox pilgrims from the Nineveh Plains region during the feast of Yoḥannan Daylamáyá the last Friday of March.