HT Эпизод s3e2

In this episode, we speak with Dr Virginia Sommella about the history, archaeology and cultural significance of Tur Abdin, a region in southeastern Türkiye encompassing parts of present-day Mardin, Midyat and Şırnak. Focusing on the late Roman and early Byzantine periods, we explore how this frontier region was understood and experienced, and how the Tur Abdin could function simultaneously as a periphery of the empire and a centre of religious and cultural life. We discuss the region’s Syriac-speaking communities, the material traces they left behind, and the Tur Abdin’s role in the development and diffusion of Christianity. From monasteries and military outposts to inscriptions and the wider landscape, Dr Sommella reflects on what archaeological and historical evidence can reveal about life in this distinctive region, how their research relates to existing scholarship and how their experience as a Research Assistant at the British Institute at Ankara contributed to their work.