Baqofah
Encyclopedia
Baqofa is an Assyrian village
in northern Iraq
located near Batnaya
. Most of its inhabitants are adherents of the Chaldean Catholic Church
. The village's Aramaic name may derive from "Beth Qopa" or "Beth Qofa", signifying either the "House of Rods" or "Place of the Skull."
. The earliest historical reference to the village dates to the 7th century, in Life of Rabban Hormizd the Persian. Notable historical events have included devastating raids by Mongols in 1436 and 1508, an attack by Persian king Nader Shah
in 1743, and an attack launched under order of the Kurd
ish governor of Rawandows in 1833. An 1852 document indicated that in 1850 approximately families residing in the village attended its single church.
Notable author and bishop Jacques-Eugene (Ogein) Manna
, also known as "Ya'qob Awgin Manna", whose Chaldean-Arabic Dictionary was first published in 1900 and was reprinted as recently as 2006, was born in the village in 1867.
who speak Neo-Aramaic.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in northern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
located near Batnaya
Batnaya
Batnaya is an Assyrian village located 14 miles north of Mosul and around 3 miles north of Tel Keppe.The name Batnaya is of Aramaic origin derived from either "Beth Tnyay" meaning "The House of Mud" or "Beth Tnaya" meaning "The House of Assiduity"....
. Most of its inhabitants are adherents of the Chaldean Catholic Church
Chaldean Catholic Church
The Chaldean Catholic Church , is an Eastern Syriac particular church of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic Church...
. The village's Aramaic name may derive from "Beth Qopa" or "Beth Qofa", signifying either the "House of Rods" or "Place of the Skull."
History
The area is believed to have been settled for thousands of years, dating back to the Assyrian Empire era; in 1852, an archaeological dig uncovered artifacts with Cuneiform scriptCuneiform script
Cuneiform script )) is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. Emerging in Sumer around the 30th century BC, with predecessors reaching into the late 4th millennium , cuneiform writing began as a system of pictographs...
. The earliest historical reference to the village dates to the 7th century, in Life of Rabban Hormizd the Persian. Notable historical events have included devastating raids by Mongols in 1436 and 1508, an attack by Persian king Nader Shah
Nader Shah
Nāder Shāh Afshār ruled as Shah of Iran and was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty. Because of his military genius, some historians have described him as the Napoleon of Persia or the Second Alexander...
in 1743, and an attack launched under order of the Kurd
Kürd
Kürd or Kyurd or Kyurt may refer to:*Kürd Eldarbəyli, Azerbaijan*Kürd Mahrızlı, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Goychay, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Jalilabad, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Qabala, Azerbaijan*Qurdbayram, Azerbaijan...
ish governor of Rawandows in 1833. An 1852 document indicated that in 1850 approximately families residing in the village attended its single church.
Notable author and bishop Jacques-Eugene (Ogein) Manna
Eugene Manna
Mar Jacques-Eugene Manna was bishop of the Chaldean Catholic Church.-Life:He was born in 1867 in Baqofah in Ninveh province in northern Iraq...
, also known as "Ya'qob Awgin Manna", whose Chaldean-Arabic Dictionary was first published in 1900 and was reprinted as recently as 2006, was born in the village in 1867.
Modern village
The modern agricultural village consists of about 80 brick, cement or stone houses, with approximately 600 inhabitants, primarily Assyrians followers of the Chaldean Catholic ChurchChaldean Catholic Church
The Chaldean Catholic Church , is an Eastern Syriac particular church of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic Church...
who speak Neo-Aramaic.