Monastery of Rabban Hormizd

The story of Rabban Hormizd is a fascinating tale of spiritual journey and dedication. According to sources, Rabban Hormizd originally hailed from Persia. During a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, he reached Mosul, where an encounter with three monks profoundly influenced him. This meeting altered the course of his journey, leading him to abandon his initial plan of reaching Jerusalem. Instead, he turned back eastward, ultimately settling in the region of Marga, the ancient name for the area until Akre. Choosing a life of devotion, Rabban Hormizd became a monk and joint other hermits in the neighboring mountains.

After a long period, Rabban Hormizd left his group and climbed another mountain, where he remained alone in a cave—the very mountain where we find ourselves today. Rabban Hormizd passed away at the age of 90, 25 years after founding his monastery between the Christian town of Alqosh and the Yezidi village Bozan. At the monastery’s peak, around the end of his life, it hosted approximately 100 monks. While the original monastery was relocated due to earthquakes, Rabban Hormizd’s resting place remains in the modern part of the monastery, where people still come seeking healing and solace in the spiritual legacy he left behind.

Visitors and pilgrims sought him out for miraculous healing, a tradition that continues to draw people, including non-Christians, especially from nearby Yezidi villages.