Menan

General Information

Also Known As

Menan shrine, Ziyaretgeha Menên, Menan Shrine, منان

Type

Ziyareta

Nahiya (Subdistrict)

Şera

Village or Nearby Villages

Serê Kaniyê, Metîna, Qurtqulaqê Mezin, Tirmûşa

The Menan shrine (Kurdish: Ziyaretgeha Menên, Arabic: منان) is one of the shrines of Metîna and Serê Kaniyê. It stands on Bêla Menên, the ridge above Serê Kaniyê/Kefercenê that takes its name from the shrine.1 Ziyaretgeha Menên also lies east of Metîna, near Qeracê Selma or Qeraca.2

Map and Location

Coordinates: 36.589393, 36.946802

Source: https://akmckeever.substack.com/

Dedicated Figure & Historical Roots

Local tradition identifies Menên as the tomb of the brother of the figure at Henan. Its building is described as classical, and historical sources date it to the time of the Prophet David. Henan and Menan themselves are unidentified, and their religious identity is unclear.3

Related Place Names

At Qurtqulaqê Mezin, Bîra Menên was a former water source west of the village. The springs there have since dried.4

Transcripts

Metîna (Ax û Welat - Episode 564):

  • 18:55 – The voiceover explains that to the east of Metîna lies the Qeracê Selma ridge and the Ziyaretgeha Menên.

Metîna (Ax û Welat - Episode 1172):

  • 18:54 – The narrator details that to the east of the village lies the Qeraca ridge and the Ziyaretgeha Menên.

Qurtqulaqê Mezin (Ax û Welat - Episode 1055):

  • 04:26 – A resident (Manan) mentions that there was a spring on the side of the village known as "Menen's well" (Bîra Menên).

Videography

Metîna (Ax û Welat - Episode 564): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LIh3GKG5ns

Metîna (Ax û Welat - Episode 1172): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iJilStcO2Y

Qurtqulaqê Mezin (Ax û Welat - Episode 1055): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ljg9EW-eLY

Bibliography

References

  1. Mihemed Ebdo Elî, Jabal al-Kurd (Mintaqat Afrin): Dirasa Jughrafiyya Shamila, Arabic ed. (Efrîn, 2014). Quote: "Ew bêla Gu.Qitmê bi Rojava de diçe, gundê Serêkaniyê/kefercenê derbas dike û li wir bi navê Bêla Menên, li ser navê pîrozgeha Menên ku li ser e, bi nav dibe." English translation: "That ridge of Qitmê goes west, passes the village of Serêkaniyê/Kefercenê, and there is called Bêla Menên, after the Menên shrine that is on it." ↩

  2. Ax û Welat, Episode 564, "Metîna," published 2017, YouTube video, at 18:55, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LIh3GKG5ns; Ax û Welat, Episode 1172, "Metîna," published 2017, YouTube video, at 18:54, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iJilStcO2Y. Quote: "Li Rojhilatê gund, Qeracê Selma, gundê Fitnê û Ziyaretgeha Menên"; "Li Rojhilatê gund, Qeraca, Ziyaretgeha Menên." English translation: "East of the village are Qeracê Selma, the village of Fitnê, and Ziyaretgeha Menên"; "East of the village are Qeraca and Ziyaretgeha Menên." ↩

  3. Mihemed Ebdo Elî, Çiyayê Kurmênc (Efrîn): Dîrok, Civak, Belgekirin (Efrîn: Çapnivîsa Kurdî, 2007). Quote: "Pîrozgeha Menên jî li ser bêla Menên li jorî gundê Serê Kaniyê ye, li derbarî wê jî dibêjin, ku ew gora birayê xudiyê pîrozgeha Henên e, avahiya wê kalsîkî ye, jêderine dîrokî dibêjin, ew jî ji dema Pêxember Dawûd de ye. Digel ku Henan û Menan kesine ne nas in, serdem û nasnama wan ya olî jî ne diyar in..." English translation: "The Menên shrine is also on Bêla Menên above the village of Serê Kaniyê. About it, they say that it is the grave of the brother of the owner of the Henên shrine; its building is classical, and historical sources say that it too is from the time of the Prophet David. Although Henan and Menan are unknown persons, their period and religious identity are also unclear..." ↩

  4. Ax û Welat, Episode 1055, "Qurtqulaqê Mezin," published 2017, YouTube video, at 04:18-04:53, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ljg9EW-eLY. Quote: "Du kanî hebûn, û li vê alî gund, vê ra digotin 'bîra menên' kaniyek bû, dera hanê zinarê refik kaniyek bû, vî derê xerbî gund... Ew... Geliyê Rêz, Geliyê Kaniyê, kaniyek hebûn, hemû niha hişk bûne." English translation: "There were two springs, and on this side of the village there was a spring called Bîra Menên; there was a spring at that place, Zinarê Refik, west of the village... There were springs at Geliyê Rêz and Geliyê Kaniyê; all of them have now dried up." ↩