Mar Oraha Monastery
| Saint Oraha Monastery | |
|---|---|
 The monastery during the 1960s |
|
| Construction year: | 6th century |
| Location: | 36 ° 32 '41 " N , 43 ° 8' 44" E |
| Location: |
Batnaya Ninawa , Iraq |
| Purpose: | Chaldean Catholic Monastery |
The Saint Oraha Monastery ( Aramaic ܕܝܪܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܘܪܐܗܐ) is a 6th century Chaldean Catholic monastery in northern Iraq near the city of Batnaya , which was destroyed during Muslim rule.
The monastery is traditionally attributed to Saint Oraha , who was forced to give up his hermitage in Mount Alfaf due to a drought and settled in the Nineveh plains , where he built his monastery during the Patriarchate of Ischoʿyahb I (581-596). It was occupied by monks of the Church of the East until 1719 when it was given to the Chaldean Catholic Church . The monastery was completely destroyed by the hands of the Persian ruler Shah Nadir during his campaign in the region in 1743 and his monks were massacred. In 1921 it was rebuilt with the help of the Dominican Order .
The festival of Mar Oraha is held in this monastery twice: on the first Sunday of the Great Lent and on the second Sunday after Easter .