During the 4th-century CE, King Senchareb of Nineveh commissioned the building of this monastery as an act of atonement for having killed his son, Behnam, and daughter Sarah for converting to Christianity. Behnam, was eventually sanctified, hence the title Mar, a title of sainthood in the Assyrian language. He and Sarah’s bodies were buried in a crypt at the monastery. The site quickly became a beacon for Christian pilgrims throughout the region. As a result, the monastery attracted several artists that contributed paintings, bas-reliefs, and statues to the collection of…
