St Jacob of Nisibis Syriac Orthodox Cathedral, Qamishli

The Cathedral of St Jacob of Nisibis is the main church of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Jazira and the Euphrates in Qamishli. It takes its name from St Jacob, bishop of Nisibis in the 4th century; Nisibis, today’s Nusaybin in Turkey, lies just across the border. The first church went up in 1925, built of mud brick and clay. The present building dates from 1947 and was consecrated in 1953. It is a working church: the 2026 Easter liturgy was held here, and at the end of April the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch led a service inside.

Who built it

According to Metropolitan Maurice Amsih, the first church was built by the generation that had migrated from Upper Jazira, on what is now the Turkish side of the border. It was a mud-brick and clay building. The church is as old as Qamishli itself: the town’s official plan is dated 20 August 1926. The city’s Syriac name, Beth Zalin, means a place of reeds, after the reed beds along the Jaghjagh River.

When the present building went up

The mud-brick church was replaced in 1947, and the new building was consecrated in 1953. Published sources say nothing about its architecture or its builders, and this page does not fill that gap with guesses.

What surrounds the church

The cathedral is the centre of a cluster of community bodies: the diocesan hall, the St Jacob of Nisibis Brotherhood, Syriac Orthodox Scout Troop 4, the Urhoy arts committee and a centre for religious education. In December 2024 unidentified attackers targeted the Brotherhood’s premises.

What has happened in recent years

In September 2025 the church marked its centenary with three days of events. On 30 April 2026 Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II arrived in Qamishli on his first visit to the Jazira in years. Crowds met him in Sab’a Bahrat Square, and he led a service in the cathedral. On 4 May he met the church’s institutions there. Easter 2026 was also celebrated here, following the Eastern calendar.

Can you visit

The cathedral is open and holds regular services. No visiting hours are published, and the door may be locked outside services. Qamishli came under a new administration in early 2026, and present conditions for visitors could not be confirmed from an independent source. Ask at the church before going.

Don’t miss

The direction the name points. Nusaybin begins where the streets of Qamishli end, on the other side of the border, and the church is named after that city’s saint. The old church that bears St Jacob’s name still stands in Nusaybin, just beyond the frontier.