Bartella

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Bartella (Syriac: ܒܪܛܠܐ, Arabic,برطلّة) is an mixed Assyrian and Shia Shabak Kurdish town located less than 13 miles east of Mosul, Iraq.
There was a small Armenian community of nearly 100 people living in the city before ISIS attacks.

History
" The name Bartella is of Syriac origin, but its meaning is not fully agreed on by the historians. While Joseph Ghanima and al-Jawaliqy believe its from Bart Tilla meaning Daughter of Dew, the priest Putros Saba al-Bartelly believes it comes from Beth Rattly meaning House of Weights.

Between the 7th and 12th centuries, the name Bartella is lost in the shadows of history. However, according to Potrus Qasha, in 1153, Ignatius Elia'azar (1143–1164), the maphrian of Ashur, made Bartella his home and see, and the town became the center of Christianity in Athur. In Assyria (northern Iraq), the maphrian was the head of church, and reported to the Patriarch in Antioch. In 1859 (or 1860), the Syriac Orthodox Church under Patriarch Yacoub II officially abolished the position of maphrian (Patriarch Yacoub III reinstated the position of maphrian in India in 1964). When Ignatius Elia'azar made Bartella his home and see, dissatisfaction erupted in the community since Mar Mattai Monastery has been the traditional see of the Orthodox maphrian. A compromise was finally reached and he returned to Mar Mattai. However, it was agreed that he would make it a tradition to visit Bartella to emphasize its importance. Other maphrians who made their see in Bartella were Dionysius Saliba II (1222–1231), Gregorius Barsuma (1288–1308), Gregorius Mattai I (1317–1345), Gregorius bar Qeenaya (d. 1361), Athanasius Abraham II (1365–1379), and Cyril Joseph III (1458–1470).

As was the case with other Assyrian villages, Bartella was of the Church of the East faith. However, in 610, the people of Bartella accepted monophysitism according to Bishop Marotha of Tikrit, who, in 639, was ordained Maphrian of the East. In 1153, Maphrian Ignatius La'azer, Maphrian of Assur, chose Bartilla as his see. Bartilla was also chosen as the see for Maphrian Dionysius Saliba II in 1223; in 1231 this Maphrian was killed in a battle in the area of Tur Abdin.

Bartella gained fame again in 1284 when Maphrian Gregoris bin al-Ebry built the Yohanna bin Najara Monastery. Bartella was the home for the maphrians, Gregarious Barsoma who died in it in 1308, and was buried in Mar Mattai Monastery, and Maphrian Gregarious Matti I who died in 1345, and Maphrian Gregarious bin Qenaya who was ordained through the support of the Princes of Karamles, Matti and Sultan Shah, also with the support of Mar Denha II, Patriarch of the Church of the East. Unfortunately, Maphrian Gregarious bin Qenaya was forced to flee Bartella to Tikrit, and then to Baghdad were he was killed in 1361.

Bartella was also the home of Maphrian Athanasius Abraham II who died in 1379, and Maphrian Qorlos Joseph III, known as Ibn Nissan, who stayed only for a short time in Bartilla and left it to Hamas where he died in 1470. He was the last Maphrian who chose Bartilla as their home."

Liberated by ISF from Daesh on 20 October 2016