Sultana Mahdokht church, Araden, Duhok. May 15, 2022 (Photo: Kurmanj Nhili)
ishtartv.com - kurdistan24.net
Kurmanj
Nhili 2022/05/17
Hundreds
of Christians held their special annual ceremony attended by senior religious
leaders in the village of Araden in Duhok province, where the ancient Church of
Sultana Mahdokht is located, on Sunday.
Worshippers
lit candles and offered up prayers on the morning of May 15, as they do every
year on this date.
They
later celebrated the feast in Araden.
According
to local tradition, the village's name means Land of Eden. The name is derived
from Ara, which means land in Syriac, and Aden meaning Eden refers to the
village's natural beauty.
Araden
is located at the foot of Metina Mountain and overlooks the Sapna valley. It is
only 6 kilometers east of Bamarni.
Sultana
Mahdokht is believed to have been constructed back to the 4th century, 319
A.D., when Sultana Mahdokht and her two brothers were killed.
The
walls of the church are about 1.5 meters thick. Around 150 people can take
shelter inside the building, and it's believed that the walls were built thick
for protection against attacks.
The
story of this church has been passed down through generations.
According
to story, Sultana Mahdokht, daughter of Prince Pholar, and her two brothers
witnessed a miracle and converted and embraced Christianity.
This
happened during the reign of King Shabur the Second (309-379) of the Sasanian
Empire. At that time, Christians were persecuted because the state religion was
Zoroastrianism.
The
story ends with the three siblings keeping their faith in Christianity against
the wishes of the prince and king, who had them killed.
After
they were killed, a shepherd from the village built a church naming it after
Sultana Mahdokht.
Amal
Yousef, one of the Christians attending the feast, told Kurdistan 24 that many
miracles have happened in this church.
"Christians
come here and pray, especially for good health and cure for illnesses,"
she said. "Many times worshippers' prayers are answered."
"We
pray in the morning and stay with our friends and families until the evening,
enjoying and celebrating this day in this wonderful sacred place," she
added.
Young
people light a candle and pray for a good life partner. This has become a
tradition by now," she concluded.
Araden
has another ancient church known as Mart Shmoni that is around 1,750 years old
and located in the center of the village to the north. It was renovated in
1935.
Sultana Mahdokht church, Araden, Duhok. May 15, 2022 (Photo: Kurmanj Nhili)
Sultana Mahdokht church, Araden, Duhok. May 15, 2022 (Photo: Kurmanj Nhili)
Sultana Mahdokht church, Araden, Duhok. May 15, 2022 (Photo: Kurmanj Nhili)
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