Patriarchal Province of Seleucia-Ctesiphon
The province consisted of a number of dioceses in the region of Beth Aramaye, between Basra and Kirkuk, which were placed under the patriarch's direct supervision at the synod of Yahballaha I in 420.According to Eliya of Damascus, there were thirteen dioceses in the province of the patriarch in 893: Kashkar, al-Tirhan (Tirhan), Dair Hazql (an alternative name for al-Nuʿmaniya, the chief town in the diocese of Zabe), al-Hira (Hirta), al-Anbar (Piroz Shabur), al-Sin (Shenna d'Beth Ramman), ʿUkbara, al-Radhan, Nifr, al-Qasra, 'Ba Daraya and Ba Kusaya' (Beth Daraye), ʿAbdasi (Nahargur) and al-Buwazikh (Konishabur or Beth Waziq).Eliya's list helps to confirm the impression given by the literary sources, that the East Syrian communities in Beth Aramaye were at their most prosperous in the tenth century.[9] By 1222 the guardianship of the vacant patriarchal throne, for centuries a privilege of the bishops of Kashkar, was in the hands of the metropolitans of Beth Huzaye.He was a contemporary of the East Syrian monk Rabban Khudahwi, and helped him build the monastery of Beth Hale.[24] The secretary Shila was among the signatories of the acts of the synods of Acacius in 486 (as a deacon) and Babai in 497 (as a priest), on behalf of the bishop Mihrnarsai of Zabe.[30] The bishop Shlemun of Zabe (al-Zawabi) was appointed metropolitan of Fars during the reign of the patriarch Mari (987–99).[13] The secretary Marqos was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Babai in 497, on behalf of the bishop Brikhishoʿ of Beth Daraye.[35] The priest Yohannan was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Babai in 497, on behalf of the bishop Shamaʿ of Piroz Shabur.[42] The bishop Sabrishoʿ of Piroz Shabur (al-Anbar) was appointed metropolitan of ʿIlam during the reign of the patriarch Mari (987–99).[34] The bishop Mari ibn ʿAus of 'Radhan' was transferred to the diocese of Anbar by the patriarch Sabrishoʿ III shortly after his consecration in 1063/4.[45] The Nestorian diocese of Tirhan was founded in the sixth century, probably to counter the influence of the important Jacobite centre of Tagrit.[29] The bishop Miles 'of Shenna' was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Ishoʿyahb I in 585 and the agreement of Bar Qaiti in March 598.[40] The monk Makkikha, superior of the monastery of Beth ʿAbe, was elected bishop of Shenna by its East Syrian community in 900 after visiting Baghdad to attend the consecration of the patriarch Yohannan IV.[62] The diocese of Qasr is first mentioned in connection with an incident that took place in the reign of Sliba-zkha (714–28), when the caliph ʿAbd al-Malik visited 'the church of the throne that is called the "White Fortress" (al-qasr al-abyad)'.[64] He wrote an account of an incident that took place at Qasr in ʿAbdishoʿ's reign, during an inundation of the Tigris, which was later quoted at length by the historian Mari.[66] Naʿaman Ibn Saʿada was consecrated bishop of 'al-Qasr' at an unknown date during the reign of the patriarch ʿAbdishoʿ II (1074–90).[74] Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, was the seat of the East Syrian patriarchs between the eighth and thirteenth centuries, and is frequently mentioned in the various literary sources in connection with the ceremonies attending their elections, consecrations, and burials.He died quite by chance in Baghdad in 1281, during his first visit to the city for sixteen years, and was probably the last East Syrian patriarch to be buried there.His successor Yahballaha III was consecrated in Baghdad in 1281, but also avoided the city for much of his reign, preferring to reside first in Eshnuq and finally in Maragha.However, a poem written in Karamlish in 1295 mentions that he restored the chapels and apartments in the Greek Palace, probably during the reign of the sympathetic il-khan Arghun, and built a "very beautiful gallery for counsel, recreation, and the reunions of the fathers".[citation needed] The accession of the il-khan Ghazan in 1295 was followed immediately by a persecution of Christians in Baghdad and several other cities, in which a number of churches were confiscated.The Moslems also recovered the palace of Duwaidar ʿAla al-Din, which had been taken from them and given to Makkikha II by Hulegu after the city's capture in 1259, and required the East Syrians to remove for reburial elsewhere the remains of the patriarchs Makkikha II and Denha I and other prominent clerics and monks buried there.
List of patriarchs of the Church of the EastTaq KasraSasanianecclesiastical provinceChurch of the EastSeleucia-Ctesiphonpatriarch of the Church of the EastdiocesesBeth AramayeKirkukYahballaha IEliya of DamascusTirhanal-RadhanNisibisPapa bar AggaiDiocese of Kashkarnatar kursyaEliya IIIBeth Huzayeal-HiraIshoʿyahb IAba IIAbu'l Hassan Bar BahlulEzekielBeth DarayeElijah of NisibisEliya ISliba-zkhaTirhan (East Syriac diocese)Mount IzlaIshoʿyahb IIʿEnanishoʿYohannan of Shennabishop of HarranEliya IIRādhānIsraelMakkikha IIDenha IYahballaha IIITimothy IIIshoʿyahb IVʿAbdishoʿ IYohannan Abu Nasr Ibn al-TarghalʿAbdishoʿ IIYohannan VKashkarBook of the BeeBaghdadAbbasid CaliphateTimothy IYohannan IIYohannan IIIAbraham IIIBar SawmaIshoʿyahb VYahballaha IISabrishoʿ IVSabrishoʿ VMongolsAssemani, Giuseppe LuigiChabot, Jean-BaptisteFiey, Jean MauriceChaldean Catholic ChurchAssyrian Church of the Eastschism of 1552Dioceses of the Church of the East to 1318Dioceses of the Church of the East, 1318–1552Dioceses of the Church of the East after 1552AdiabeneBeth GarmaïMaishanBeth Sinaye (China)Beth Tuptaye (Tibet)DailamDamascusHulwanIslands of the SeaKashgar and NevakethKatai and OngSamarqandTangutAbiward and Shahr PirozAdarbaiganAl-BariyaAl-KujAl-QabbaAl-RustaqAoustan d'ArzunArmeniaArdashir Khurrah (Shiraf)ʿAïn SipneBadisi and QadistanBarhisBeth BgashBeth DasenBeth LapatBeth Mazunaye (Oman)Beth MoksayeBeth NuhadraBeth RahimaïBeth Tabyathe and the KartawayeBeth ZabdaïBih Shabur (Kazrun)DabarinDairinDarabgardDinawarEshnuqGawkaïGurganHadithaHamadanHarran and CallinicusHebtonHesna d'KifaHormizd ArdashirHrbath GlalIspahanIstakhrJerusalemKarka d'Beth SlokhKarka d'LedanKarka d'MaishanKarman