October 8 – 12, 2008-10-25

Turabdin – Mardin – Turkey

[One Unified and Unifying National Language]

Under this slogan, the 4^th Conference of the Syriac Language was held in the city of Mardin on the 8^th to 12^th of October 2008.  The grand opening was held at Zafaran’s Monastery with the attendance of many official principals, among whom were the Governor of Mardin, the Representative of the ministry of Culture of Turkey, the Mayor of Mardin, and the President of Mardin’s University.  Also in attendance were important religious figures.  Most noticeable about this Conference was the intensive participation of a large number of scholars who specialize in the Syriac Language and its heritage and literature.  These participants flocked from various countries in the region and abroad, including: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, French, England, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Canada and the United States of America, in addition to many participants from the host country, Turkey.  All the participants came with a high spirit and seriousness primarily to serve the Syriac Language, its development, spread and modernization.

The conference demonstrated great planning and high efficiency in its organization and administration.  Likewise, it was distinct in its academic approach and the way applied modern ways and technical presentations and communication with the audience.

All lectures were presented in both Syriac and English languages, and they concentrated on specific topics, which were defined by the Body of the Leading Committee.  The topics were:

1.      The spoken dialects and its relations with the Semitic Languages

2.      The Syriac Language and the Orientalism

3.      Methods of teaching the Syriac Language, both the Classical and the Modern

A cordial and collegial spirit dominated all the sessions of the Conference, which added to the enrichment of the research presented.  At the end, the participants gratefully endorsed the suggestion of the Body of the Syriac Culture in Lebanon, i.e., to hold the 5^th Conference in the year 2009 in Beirut.

At this concluding stage of the Conference’s activities, we gratefully express our thanks and appreciation to all who supported the Conference, both morally and financially, and most prominently the honorable Mr. Sarkis Aghijan, and the Center of Eastern Culture for its supervision of the Conference.  Likewise, we extend our appreciation to the prominent authorities who endorsed and blessed our Conference, especially His Excellency Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and His Holiness Mar Zakka Iwas I, and His Holiness Mar Dankh IV.  We are also grateful to the tireless workers of TV Satellite of Ashtar Channel for their coverage of all the activities of the Conference.

The 4^th Syriac Language Conference