A fire broke out in the early hours of July 26th in the olive gardens of the historic Deyrulzafaran Monastery, a holy place for the Assyrian, 10 kilometers from the city center of Mardin. The monastery was established in the 5th century.
According to various Turkish media outlets, hundreds of olives and almond trees were burnt in the fires in the gardens around the Monastery of Deyrulzafaran. The olives gardens are an important source of income for the monastery. The inhabitants of the monastery and the fire department of Mardin intervened to extinguish the fire.
Speaking to Sputnik News, Afrem Johannes, Guide of Deyrulzafaran Monastery, said the fire broke out around 2:00 AM on Saturday. He said it appears the fire was set by a group of people who spent the evening in the gardens of the monastery. A police investigation was launched into the incident.
