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Who are the Suryoye (Arameans/Assyrians)?

The Suryoye are an Aramaic-speaking Christian people with roots in the Middle East. To this day they keep their language, faith and traditions alive – worldwide, in a large diaspora community.

Origins and homeland

The original homeland of the Suryoye lies in Mesopotamia – above all in the Tur Abdin region in the south-east of present-day Turkey, as well as parts of Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. From this heartland comes one of the oldest Christian communities in the world.

Faith: early Christianity

The Suryoye are among the earliest Christians of all. They are part of Syriac Christianity, expressed in several churches – including the Syriac Orthodox Church. Faith, liturgy and church feasts continue to shape community life strongly today.

Self-designation: Suryoye, Arameans, Assyrians

In Aramaic, members of the people call themselves “Suryoye” (singular “Suryoyo”). In English the terms Arameans and Assyrians are also common. These names refer to the same community with a shared language and a shared Christian heritage.

The language: Aramaic

The mother tongue of many Suryoye is Aramaic – one of the oldest continuously spoken languages in the world and the language Jesus spoke in everyday life. The everyday dialect from Tur Abdin is called Surayt or Turoyo.

The diaspora

Over the course of the 20th century many Suryoye emigrated from the Middle East. Today large communities live in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and other countries. Especially in the diaspora, staying close matters – to pass language and culture on to the next generation.

Read on: The Aramaic language Surayt/Turoyo and Tur Abdin, the homeland of the Suryoye.