In the mountainous landscape of Tur Abdin, where Assyrian Christianity once took root, the villages are coming back to life. Two events this month—the anniversary celebration in Kafro and the rededication of the monastic village of Dayro du Slibo—show that the region is no longer just a memorial to what has been lost, but a place where Assyrians are once again choosing to build their homes.

Kafro – From Ghost Town to Role Model

On September 9, nearly 3,000 Assyrians gathered in Kafro to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the first families’ return home. The village was almost completely emptied during the unrest of the 1980s and remained silent for nearly two decades afterward.

The turning point came in 2006, when fourteen pioneer families left their lives in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland to move back. They were met by a village without infrastructure. Five years of work were required to provide basic infrastructure. Today, over 40 families live permanently in Kafro, an example and a role model that has spread to surrounding villages.

Photo from this spring, taken from a distance of the village – Photo courtesy of Assyria Post
Dayro du Slibo – the village inside the monastery

A few mil away, on September 13, church bells rang out over a place unlike any other in all of Assyria. Dayro du Slibo—“Monastery of the Cross”—was rededicated after years of renovation. What makes it unique is its structure: the entire village lives within the monastery. Passing through the single gate, visitors are met not by a monastery in the conventional sense, but by family homes built of honey-colored limestone, intertwined with four ancient churches. The high walls that once protected monks now protect families.

The renovation, funded by the village’s diaspora associations in collaboration with local authorities, was not just about repairing stone—but about making it possible for people to return. Families from Midyat, Hah, and Tur Izlo arrived early in the morning, along with diaspora guests who were standing on the site for the first time since their grandparents were forced to leave it.

Photo of the interior of Dayro du Slibo before the renovation: Photo courtesy of Assyria Post
A pattern that extends beyond individual villages

Kafro and Dayro du Slibo are part of a trend that is gaining momentum in Tur Abdin after decades of depopulation. This is also evident from the outside: a UNESCO delegation recently visited the region to assess several historic Assyrian churches and monasteries in preparation for a possible inclusion on the World Heritage List.

International recognition can open doors to preservation and funding—but it also raises a question worthy of its own follow-up: Who gets to own and define this heritage when outside institutions step in? For now, however, it is the people themselves who are writing history on the ground, before anyone else has a chance to do it for them.