Philoxenos Yuhanon Dolabani

Mor Philoxenos Yuhanon Dolabani, also known simply as Philoxenos Yuhanon Dolabani or simply Yuhanon Dolabani, was the Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Mardin, Turkey and its Environs. Born in 1885 in Mardin, he was ordained as a monk in the Mor Hananyo Monastery in 1908, and later as a bishop in 1933.
Dolabani authored many works throughout his life, and is acclaimed as a prominent Syriac writer to this day.

Early life

Dolabani was born in Mardin on 27 September, 1885 to a religious family that came to the city from Savur in the 18th century. He was born near the village of Qeleth. He attended the local Turkish school, and after he finished his education, he resided across different monasteries in Mardin and Tur Abdin. Originally, Dolabani embarked on a shoe-making career, and his parents objected to the idea of him becoming a monk. Although Ignatius Abded Aloho II had tried to convince Dolabani to forget about monastic life at the request of his parents, it was to no avail.
In 1908, Dolabani became a monk in the Mor Hananyo Monastery, where he resided for the majority of his life. He became a teacher in the monastery's Patriarchal School in 1910, and was ordained a priest in 1918. He was consecrated as a bishop in 1933.

Religious work

At the Taw Mim Semkath orphanage school, Dolabani would teach the Syriac language to students until its closure in 1921. Among the students he taught at the orphanage include Gabriel Asaad, Abrohom Sawme, and Danho Maqdasi Elias. Dolabani would also teach those who would later become clergymen such as Abed Mshiho Neman of Qarabash, Murad Saliba Barsoum, and Nu'man Aydin, and frequented education at various monasteries. Dolabani accompanied Ignatius Elias III on a pastoral tour across the Middle East in 1919 after Sayfo, and would later attend another visit in 1925 to Aleppo and Jerusalem. He would eventually serve the Syriac Orthodox community in Jerusalem, staying at the Monastery of Saint Mark from 1925 to 1926, and was later joined by Sawme from the Assyrian orphanage in Adana.
Dolabani was a missionary-minded man, and ordained many number of priests, monks and deacons to serve in remote areas as far as 'Bitlis and Van' where the faithful had lost their clergy and forgotten about Christianity. He was one of many clerical figures to emphasize structural reforms to propel education in the church.
After Ignatius Aphrem I moved the Syriac Orthodox patriarchate from Mardin to Homs, community leadership in Mardin desired to elect Dolabani to the position of anti-patriarch, but he rejected this. He was ordained Metropolitan of the Diocese of Mardin in 1947.

Literary works

Dolabani is known for his literary works which he produced throughout his life. He authored numerous works written in Syriac, Arabic, and Turkish, which namely included translations of Syriac literature and writings on history/poetry. Dolabani also wrote poems, including one dedicated to the Saffron Monastery, as well as 'culturally Assyrian' poems such as Othur ''. He, alongside other clerical and community figures, contributed to the Assyrian journal Sefro Suryoyo, which was published by the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo and edited by Danho Maqdisi Elias. Throughout most of his life, Dolabani kept a diary where he detailed daily occurrences and events in his life.
In 1929, Dolabani published a book of compiled poems which included literary works by Barhebraeus. He additionally compiled a series of catalogues of manuscripts from different locations which remained unpublished until 1994. He additionally translated Ignatius Aphrem I's book, The Scattered Pearls: A History of Syriac Science and Literature'', into Syriac. In his memoirs, he describes a meeting with Isma’il Beg Chūl in 1910, suggesting that he had cordial relations with Yazidis. In total, Dolabani published 69 books, including 10 translations.
Dolabani frequently faced challenges and heavy pressure from Turkish authorities regarding his publishing opportunities, including an instance in 1949 when he applied to create a Bible study course. Correspondence between him and authorities show that the difficulties were so immense, including requirements of compulsory Turkish language, history, and geography classes, to the archbishop that he was forced to give up entirely, as he failed to make substantial progress. Dolabani was the first to translate Syriac Orthodox liturgical prayer into Turkish for those who had moved to Istanbul. When he was appointed to Metropolitan in 1947, Dolabani moved the church's printing press for Mor Hananyo Monastery to the Forty Martyrs Church in Mardin.

Views on nationalism

Dolabani wrote many poems inspired by Assyrian heritage and identity.' Additional poems that he wrote include Neshono d'Othur ''and Yolufotho d-Othuroye b-Qiliqiya, which was dedicated to the Assyrian orphanage in Cilicia.' In some of his poems, identification with the ancient Arameans is also present, leading to contemporary disputes and competition over his choice of identity.
After the failure of the Assyro-Chaldean delegation at the Paris Peace Conference, Dolabani was forbidden from expressing nationalistic ideals by church hierarchy. Dolabani was also reported to have been excommunicated for six months due to this reason. Although he continued to express Assyrian identity, he did so under a lower profile. In the magazine Leshono d'Umtho'', Dolabani published nationalistic poems anonymously.
Dolabani was one of only two clergymen, alongside Ignatius Ya'qub III, to oppose the excommunication of Farid Nuzha by Aphrem Barsoum. His magazine continued to be sent to Dolabani even while he was excommunicated. He also criticized a tribute to Naum Faiq by bishop Murad Cheqqe, which expressed distaste towards Faiq's Assyrian activism.

Death and legacy

Dolabani passed away in 1965. The week before he died, when he saw his last article in the Patriarchal Magazine, he said: “I don’t like death to break my pen, because the Church and our youth still needs my pen, but may God’s will be done”. His funeral was reported to have been a grand event, with thousands of Assyrians from Syria taking part. He is buried in the Mor Hananyo Monastery. After his death, the Metropolitan See of Mardin remained vacant due to harsh political conditions until 2003.
Many prominent figures from the Syriac Orthodox Church fondly remembered Dolabani's humility and wisdom. Sebastian Brock, who met Dolabani when he was 28, was greatly influenced by him, and later established a memorial fund at the University of Oxford in his honor. Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Julius Yeshu Çiçek was taught by Dolabani and lived with him for three years in Mardin. In his accounts of Dolabani, he stated:

"He was such a spiritual loving man, always praying. It was enough to see him, to be with him, to live with him. We were living and praying together. He was a man of God, a living example, which is better than words and long talks.

Dolabani is considered one of the great Assyrians of the twentieth century. He is considered a role model for younger generations of Syriac Orthodox Christians, especially for those from southeastern Turkey, helping to strengthen the revival of the church. In 2007, the Assyrian Federation in Sweden published a biography about Dolabani, which included his writings and poetry. A biography was published nearly a decade later by his former secretary, Elias Shahin, through the Swedish publisher Tigris Press. The Assyrian Youth Association of Central Europe in Germany has hosted Camp Dolabani, named after Dolabani, since 2010.