† 1895: Kurds Attack Urfa
by The Ashurbanipal Library Committee
Posted: Tuesday, August 15, 2000 03:48 pm CST

Kurdish soldiers attack and butcher 13,000 men and women in the city of Urfa (i.e., Ancient Urhai). This time the attackers were indiscriminate, slaughtering Assyrians of various churches. One soldier, Sheik Hassan, boasted that he alone killed 40 Assyrians during that day.

The Kurdish soldiers besieged the city to prevent Christians from escaping, and slowly entered the village and murdered every Assyrian in site. Assyrian population centers were attacked in the following order: Village of Soyirkah City of Bila Jokah City of Amid Village of Mlatiya Mar'ash and Siwas, and all their surrounding villages. Although the number of murdered victims is approximate, several fleeing eyewitnesses as well as captive women all agree that the number exceeds 100,000.

Related Information

History Conference
1800-1899 A.D. Assyrian History Archives