Discover One of the Oldest Universities in the Middle East

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About two miles from Qāmishlī on the opposite side of the Syrian border is Naṣībīn— an ancient city in south-east Türkiye’s Mardīn Province. This city, whose earliest recorded reference by name is attested in a Neo-Assyrian text of the ninth century BCE, is considered to be one of the oldest settlements in the region.

In the outskirts of the modern city, is an archaeological site known locally as Mār Yakup Kilisesi “St. Jacob’s Church”, so-called after its eponymous founder, Mār Yaʾqōḇ of Naṣībīn (d. 337/8). This medieval structure that has withstood successive invasions was originally the site of a pre-Christian Assyrian temple before being transformed into a church and school in the fourth century CE by this early Church Father.

Situated at the cross-roads of historical trade routes, Naṣībīn became an important centre of learning for Christian Assyrians, particularly those who belonged to the Church of the East. According to experts, the school at Naṣībīn may be the Middle East’s oldest university.

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Pre-modern Syriac sources, for example, inform us that the school offered theology, philosophy, and medicine as its primary disciplines. This educational institution was administratively headed by a mhaggyānā “the instructor”, maqryānā “the reader”, and mepashqānā “the exegete”, or the head of the school.

The school at Naṣībīn flourished under a series of exceptionally effective intellects and at its height had admitted over 1,000 students. Among them was the prolific theologian and hymnographer Mār ʾAfrēm of Naṣībin (c. 306–373), also commonly known as St. Ephrem the Syrian.

Graduate students from Naṣībīn held positions of importance and some of which successfully led various episcopal sees throughout the then prosperous Church of the East. This included the famed Mār Ābā I “the Great” (d. 552), Catholicos-Patriarch of the Church of the East as well as Mār ʿAbdīshō bar Brīḵā (d. 1318), the Metropolitan Bishop of Naṣībīn and Armenia.

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Not only did the school at Naṣībīn become an extraordinary source of strength for spiritual renewal but of inspiration throughout the Persian (Sāsānian) Empire as well as the Graeco-Roman world. Inspired by the concept and example of Naṣībīn, the Christian Roman statesman Cassiodorus (c. 485–585) founded an educational establishment at Vivarium (modern-day Calabria, Italy).

Recent archaeological surveys of the site have revealed that the structure underwent several restoration efforts throughout its history; the last of which demonstrates characteristics of late Roman and early Byzantine period motifs. Although the site is partially preserved and is structurally sound— more needs to be done.

In 2014, the Government of Türkiye nominated the site as well as the nearby Zeynel Abidin Mosque complex to be admitted onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List. In 2020, the Assyrian Church of the East’s Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand, and Lebanon founded the Nisibis Assyrian Theological College Limited, so-called after its namesake in the Middle East.

• Notes

  1. The modern name Naṣībīn is derived from the Neo-Assyrian placename Naṣībīnā.

• References

  1. Istanbul Gelisim University, viewed 30 September 2023, <https://gelisim.edu.tr/en/gelisim-news-the-worlds-first-university-nisibis-academy-documentary-premiered/>.

  2. Karataş, L., Alptekin, A. & Yakar, M. Material analysis for restoration application: a case study of the world’s first university Mor Yakup Church in Nusaybin, Mardin. Herit Sci 11, 88 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-023-00935-2

  3. “Nisibis, School of .” New Catholic Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia.com. 21 Sep. 2023 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.