Maurice (emperor)Maurice (Mauricius; Maurikios; 539 – 27 November 602) was Byzantine emperor from 582 to 602 and the last member of the Justinian dynasty. A successful general, Maurice was chosen as heir and son-in-law by his predecessor Tiberius II. Maurice's reign was troubled by almost constant warfare. After he became emperor, he brought the war with Sasanian Persia to a victorious conclusion. The empire's eastern border in the South Caucasus was vastly expanded and, for the first time in nearly two centuries, the Romans were no longer obliged to pay the Persians thousands of pounds of gold annually for peace.
Şanlıurfa ProvinceŞanlıurfa Province (Şanlıurfa ili; Parêzgeha Rihayê) or simply Urfa Province is a province in southeastern Turkey. The city of Şanlıurfa is the capital of the province which bears its name. The area of the province is 18,584 km2 and its population was officially estimated at 2,143,020 as at 31 December 2021. The province is considered part of Turkish Kurdistan and has a Kurdish majority with a significant Arab and Turkish minority.
Balikh RiverThe Balikh River (نهر البليخ) is a perennial river that originates in the spring of Ain al-Arous near Tell Abyad in the Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllous-broadleaf forests ecoregion. It flows due south and joins the Euphrates at the modern city of Raqqa. The Balikh is the second largest tributary to the Euphrates in Syria, after the Khabur River. It is an important source of water and large sections have recently been subjected to canalization.
Addai of EdessaAccording to Eastern Christian tradition, Addai of Edessa (Syriac: ܡܪܝ ܐܕܝ, Mar Addai or Mor Aday sometimes Latinized Addeus) or Thaddeus of Edessa was one of the seventy disciples of Jesus. He is possibly identical with Thaddaeus, one of the Twelve Apostles. From an early date his hagiography is filled with legends and fabrications. The saint himself may be entirely fictitious. Based on various Eastern Christian traditions, Thaddaeus was a Jew born in Edessa, at the time a Syriac city, (now Şanlıurfa, Turkey).
Doctrine of AddaiThe Doctrine of Addai (Syriac: ܡܠܦܢܘܬܐ ܕܐܕܝ ܫܠܝܚܐ Malp̄ānūṯā d-Addai Šlīḥā) is a Syriac Christian text, written in the late 4th or early 5th century CE. It recounts the legend of the as well as the legendary works of Addai and his disciple Mari in Mesopotamia. The story of how King Abgar and Jesus had corresponded was first recounted in the 4th century by the church historian Eusebius of Caesarea in his Ecclesiastical History (i.13 and iii.1) and it was retold in elaborated form by Ephrem the Syrian.
SamsatSamsat (Samîsad), formerly Samosata (Σαμόσατα) is a small town in the Adıyaman Province of Turkey, situated on the upper Euphrates river. It is the seat of Samsat District. The town is populated by Kurds of the Bezikan tribe. Halil Fırat from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) was elected mayor in the local elections in March 2019. The current Kaymakam is Halid Yıldız. Samsat was the ancient capital of Kingdom of Commagene.
Gündoğan, OğuzeliGündoğan, historically Turbessel (Tel Bshir; Tell Bāshir or Tel-Basheir; Թլպաշար; Tilbeşar or Tilbaşar), is a village in the Oğuzeli District, Gaziantep Province, Turkey. It was originally a fortress that played an important role in the Crusades, remnant of which is a tumulus. The site was occupied at the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC through the end of the 17th century BC, after which it was abandoned. It was located 50 km west of Carchemish. By 2600 BC (EBIIIA) the site was about 56 hectares.
Job (biblical figure)Job (dʒoʊb ; אִיּוֹב – Īyyōv; Ἰώβ – Iṓb) is the central figure of the Book of Job in the Bible. In rabbinical literature, Job is called one of the prophets of the Gentiles. In Islam, Job (أيوب) is also considered a prophet. Job is presented as a good and prosperous family man who is suddenly beset with horrendous disasters that take away all he holds dear—a scenario intended to test Job's faith in God. Struggling mightily to understand this situation, Job reflects on his despair but consistently remains devout.
Battle of EdessaThe Battle of Edessa took place between the armies of the Roman Empire under the command of Emperor Valerian and the Sasanian Empire (an Iranian imperial dynasty) under Shahanshah (King of the Kings) Shapur I, in Edessa (now the Turkish city of Urfa) in 260. The Roman army was defeated and captured in its entirety by the Iranian forces; for the first time, a Roman emperor was taken prisoner. Prior to the battle, Shapur I had penetrated several times deeply into Roman territory, conquering and plundering Antioch in Syria in 253 or 256.
AcheiropoietaAcheiropoieta (Medieval Greek: αχειροποίητα, 'made without hand'; singular acheiropoieton) — also called icons made without hands (and variants) — are Christian icons which are said to have come into existence miraculously; not created by a human. Invariably these are images of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. The most notable examples that are credited by tradition among the faithful are, in the Eastern church, the Mandylion, also known as the , and the Hodegetria, and several Russian icons, and in the West the Shroud of Turin, Veil of Veronica, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the .
