Tyari () is an Assyrian

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

and a historical district within Hakkari,

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. The area was traditionally divided into Upper Tyari (''Tyari Letha'') and Lower Tyari (''Tyari Khtetha'')–each consisting of several Assyrian villages. Both Upper and Lower Tyari are located on the western bank of the Zab river. Today, the district mostly sits in around the town of

Çukurca Çukurca (, , ) is a municipality (belde) and seat of Çukurca District in Hakkâri Province of Turkey. The city is populated by Kurds of the Ertoşî and Pinyanişî tribes and had a population of 1,0252 in 2023. The mayor is Ensar Dündar from J ...

. Historically, the largest village of the region was known as Ashitha. According to Hannibal Travis the Tyari Assyrians were known for their skills in weaving and knitting. Before 1915, Tyari was home to Assyrians from the Bet Tyari tribe as well as a minority of

Kurds Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...

and

Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...

. Following the Assyrian genocide, ''Ṭyārāyē'', along with other Assyrians residing in the Hakkari highlands, were forced to leave their villages in southeast Anatolia and fled to join their fellow Assyrian brethren in modern-day northern

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

( Sarsink, Sharafiya, Chammike and various villages in the Nahla valley), northeastern

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

( Tel Tamer and Al Hasakah),

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and, from the late 20th century, to western countries. The Tyari tribe was, according to Robert Elliot Speer, one of the Assyrian "ashirets". In 1869 there were 15,000 Tyari Assyrians living in 2,500 houses in the Tyari district according to John George Taylor in a report to the Earl of Clarendon. The Tyari Assyrians lived across 51 different villages and constituted 50,000 members - making it the most powerful among the semi-independent

Assyrian tribes Assyrian may refer to: * Assyrian people, an indigenous ethnic group of Mesopotamia. * Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire. ** Early Assyrian Period ** Old Assyrian Period ** Middle Assyrian Empire ** Neo-Assyrian Empire ** Post-im ...

. The Tyari district is located in the boundaries of the ancient Neo-Assyrian kingdom of

Adiabene Adiabene ( Greek: Αδιαβηνή, ) was an ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia, corresponding to the northwestern part of ancient Assyria. The size of the kingdom varied over time; initially encompassing an area between the Zab Rivers, it ...

Etymology

Tyari may be a variation of the ancient "''Autiyara''" (Assyria). American historian Albert T. Olmstead describes in his work ''History of the Persian Empire'' how the Persian General Vaumisa wins a battle in the Autiyara districts located in Tyari and mentions that this is where Assyrian Christians maintained independence until modern times. In Syriac, the word () is the plural form of , meaning "sheepfold" or "grazing area". Indeed, the Assyrians of Tyari were renowned even amongst neighboring Kurds and

for their

yogurt Yogurt (; , from , ; also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to ...

cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...

and other dairy products mostly made from

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

or goat's milk. They were also famous for their

textiles Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

, which again were spun and woven from sheep's wool. They also made woolen felt for their characteristic conical caps, a style dating back to the Assyrian Empire.

Military engagements

One of the reasons the Assyrians of Tyari were able to stay independent for so long despite being significantly outnumbered by Turks, Kurds and Arab Muslims was their fighting ability. The Assyrians of Tyari were especially known for being a fierce, warlike people. It was said that they were the best fighters in West Asia, along with the Assyrian tribe of Tkhuma. Their Muslim neighbors stated that in order to stand a chance they needed to outnumber the Assyrians of Tyari or Tkhuma five to one, and have superior modern weapons. Assyrians of Tyari used much older weaponry and manufactured their own weapons and ammunition. In 1834 the leader of the

Soran Emirate Soran Emirate () was a medieval Kurdish emirate established before the conquest of Kurdistan by Ottoman Empire in 1514 and later revived by Emir Kor centered in Rawandiz from 1816 to 1836. Kor was ousted in an offensive by the Ottomans. Early ye ...

Muhammad Pasha of Rawanduz tried to subdue the

Assyrians Assyrians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to Mesopotamia, a geographical region in West Asia. Modern Assyrians share descent directly from the ancient Assyrians, one of the key civilizations of Mesopotamia. While they are distinct from ot ...

of Lower Tyari, but suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the vastly outnumbered Assyrians. They then chased the Kurds and Turks back to Amadiya.Ross, Mosul, 19 November 1847. From Ross to Layard, 61,63,79 This defeat played a major role in the collapse of the Soran Emirate. In 1880, Ubeydullah's militia, with the support of mercenaries from the Tyari tribe, invaded the northwestern Kurdish territories of

Qajar dynasty The Qajar family (; 1789–1925) was an Iranian royal family founded by Mohammad Khan (), a member of the Qoyunlu clan of the Turkoman-descended Qajar tribe. The dynasty's effective rule in Iran ended in 1925 when Iran's '' Majlis'', conven ...

in attempt to expand his control. In 1907 the Ottomans sent troops to Hakkari to stop fighting between the Assyrians of Tyari and Kurds. The Ottoman troops were successful in subduing the Kurds. The Assyrians of Tyari, however, defeated them and the Ottomans were

rout A rout is a Panic, panicked, disorderly and Military discipline, undisciplined withdrawal (military), retreat of troops from a battlefield, following a collapse in a given unit's discipline, command authority, unit cohesion and combat morale ...

ed and had their weapons seized. Following the Assyrian Genocide of

World War One World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...

which began in 1915, the Tyareh tribe, along with all other Assyrians took part in the Assyrian War of Independence against the offending

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and their Kurdish and Arab allies, allying themselves with the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...

and

(victims of the

Armenian Genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...

). The Tyareh, under Malik Khoshaba took part in scoring a number of notable victories against the Ottomans and Kurds despite being heavily outnumbered and outgunned. However Following the Russian withdrawal after the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

in 1917 and the collapse of Armenian lines the Tyareh and other northern Assyrian tribes were forced to fight their way to British lines in Northern Mesopotamia and Northern Persia. In the early 1930s, the Assyrians consisting mainly of Tyarayeh and Tkhoumnayeh successfully defeated the Iraqi army in Dairabun killing 33 and wounding 40, including three officers, while the Assyrians suffered significantly less losses. The Iraqis were armed with modern weapons and attack planes given to them by the British, while the Assyrians were only equipped with old rifles. In the 1930s, the Iraqis admitted that one Assyrian soldier was equal to three Arab soldiers and saw the Assyrians as a huge threat to Iraq militarily if Assyrians went against the British.

Dialect

The dialect of Tyari belongs to the Ashiret group, along with the dialects of e.g. Tkhuma and Baz, of the Northeastern Neo-Aramaic (NENA) dialects. Like Jīlū, the Tyari dialect is a very distinct

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic Suret ( Help:IPA for Aramaic, �suːrɪtʰor Help:IPA for Aramaic, �suːrɪθ, also known as Assyrian, refers to the varieties of Northeastern Neo-Aramaic (NENA) spoken by Christians, namely Assyrian people, Assyrians.Nordhoff, Sebast ...

dialect. Unlike the ''Jilu'', ''Baz'' and ''Gawar'' dialects (which are very similar to each other), this one is more "thick". It is, in a way, a sort of a "

working class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...

" accent of the Assyrian dialects. Dialects within Tyari, and especially the Western group, have more in common with Chaldean Neo-Aramaic than with Iraqi Koine (similar to General Urmian). The Tyari dialect is divided into two main sub-dialects; upper Tyari and lower Tyari.'''' Many Tyari speakers can switch back and forth from Tyari to "Assyrian Standard" (or "Iraqi Koine") when conversing with Assyrian speakers of other dialects. Some speakers tend to adopt a form of verb conjugation that is closer to the Iraqi Koine or Urmian Standard. This is attributed to the growing exposure to Assyrian Standard-based literature, media, and its use as a

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

language by the

Assyrian Church of the East The Assyrian Church of the East (ACOE), sometimes called the Church of the East and officially known as the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, is an Eastern Christianity, Eastern Syriac Christianity, Syriac Christian denomin ...

. Furthermore, it is customary for Assyrian artists to generally sing in ''Iraqi Koine'' for them to be intelligible and have widespread recognition. Songs in Tyari dialects are usually of the

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

-dance music genre and would attract certain audiences.

Suffixes

Although

possessive affix In linguistics, a possessive affix (from ) is an affix (usually suffix or prefix) attached to a noun to indicate its possessor, much in the manner of possessive adjectives. Possessive affixes are found in many languages of the world. The '' Wor ...

es (''beti'' - "my house") are more convenient and common among Assyrian speakers, those with Tyari and Barwari dialects take a more analytic approach regarding possession, just like modern Hebrew and English.

Villages and sub-clans in Tyari

Division of sub-clans and settlements according to the
Diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
of Mar Shimun

Lower Tyari: * Garamoon * Halamoon * Tcalluk * Arosh * Hor * Teire Rezen * Asheetha (Ashita) * Barwar (Barwari Bala) * Zaweetha * Minyanish * Merghe * Kurkhe * Leezan (Lizan) * Oomra Tahtiya * Zerni * Karukhta * Chamba d'Beth Soseena * Matha d'Kasra * Be-Zeezo * Lagippa * Be-Alahta * Bne-Matha * Be-Rawole (Rawel, Ravula) * Shoord * Rawloa d'Salabeken Walto: * Chamba Hadtha * Zorawa * Seerta * Shwawootha * Matha d'Mart Miriam * Khadiana * Reshe d'Nahra Upper Tyari: * Serspeedho * Siyadhor * Chamba d' Be Ellia * Chamba d'Nene * Chamba d'Coordhaye * Mezzraa * Mrateetha * Be-Nahra * Be-Zrako * Roomta * Jeiatha * Reshe d'Nahra * Aina d'Aleete * Doora Allaya * Kalaytha * Mezraa d'Kalaytha * Chamba d'Melek * Be-Dalyatha * Dadosh * Mabbuaa * Ko * Chamba dKoodkhe * Be-Meriggo * Roma Smoka * Chamba d'Hasso * Darawa * Malota

Clothing

*About the national dress worn by the Tyari men in the Bakuba camp, Brigadier-General Austin wrote; "Fine upstanding fellows they are, ...their legs, encased in long loose baggy trousers of a greyish hue originally, but so patched all over with bits of blue, red, green and other colors that their pants are veritable patch work. A broad cloth, "Kammar band," or waist band, is folded several times round the trunk of the body, and a short cut-away jacket of amazing colors, worn over a thin cotton variegated shirt. The head-dress consists of conical felt cap as depicted in frescoes of Assyrians of thousands of years ago, and which has survived to this day." *"Among them are a number of Tyari men, whose wild looks, combined with the splendour of their dress and arms, are a great interest. ��Their jackets are one mass of gold embroidery (worked by Jews), their shirts, with hanging sleeves, are striped with satin, their trousers, of sailor cut, are silk, made from the cocoons of their own silkworms, woven with broad crimson stripes on a white ground, on which is a zigzag pattern; and their handsome jack-boots are of crimson leather. With they white or red peaked fell hats and twisted silk pagris, their rich girdles, jewelled daggers, and inlaid pistols, they are very imposing." * Isabella L. Bird wrote in her work "''Journeys In Persia And Kurdistan''" about a Tyari man wearing a white conical cap.

Famous Tyari Assyrians

Bishops and priests

* Mar Addai II, Catholicos-Patriarch of the

Ancient Church of the East The Ancient Church of the East (ACE) is an Eastern Christian denomination. It branched from the Assyrian Church of the East in 1964, under the leadership of Mar Toma Darmo (d. 1969). It is one of three Assyrian Churches that claim continuit ...

- Ashitha, Lower Tyari * Mar Gewargis III Sliwa, Catholicos-Patriarch of the

- Ashitha, Lower Tyari * Mar Narsai Toma, Metropolitan of Kirkuk of the

- Lagippa, Lower Tyari * Mar Toma Giwargis, Metropolitan of Nineveh of the

- Matha D'Qasra, Lower Tyari * Mar Daniel Yakob, Bishop of California of the

- Ashitha, Lower Tyari * Mar Yacoub Daniel, Metropolitan of Australia and New Zealand of the

- Ashitha, Lower Tyari * Mar Emmanuel Elia, former Bishop of North America of the

- Ashitha, Lower Tyari * Mar Zaia Khoshaba, Metropolitan of North America of the

- Lagippa, Lower Tyari * Mar Aprem Daweed, former Bishop of Dohuk of the

- Ashitha, Lower Tyari * Mar Gewargis Younan, Bishop of Chicago of the

- Minyanish, Lower Tyari * Mar Odisho Oraham, Bishop of Western Europe of the Assyrian Church of the East - Rumta, Upper Tyari * Mar Aprem Natniel, Bishop of Syria of the Assyrian Church of the East - Sarespido, Upper Tyari

Assyrian Singers

* Adwar Mousa * Juliana Jendo * Linda George * Sargon Gabriel * George Homeh

Assyrian tribal leaders

* Malik Khoshaba Yosip, (Lower Tyari) * Malik Ismail II (Upper Tyari) * Rais Khiyo Odisho (Chammānāyā) * Malik Barkho (Bé-Allatha) * Hurmiz Malik Chikko (Dadoshnāyā) * Malik Yaqo d'Malik Ismael, (Upper Tyari) * Zadoq Nwiya, (Ashitha, Lower Tyari) * Sayfo Keena, (Bnay l'Gippa, Lower Tyari) * Rayis Booko, (Ashitha, Lower Tyari) * Rayis Yawp Sawkho, (Chamba, Upper Tyari) * Rayis Warda Oshana, (Rarwa, Upper Tyari) * Lazar Marqus (Ashitha, Lower Tyari)

Notes

References

{{Reflist Assyrian tribes Hakkari Hakkâri Province