Welcome to the Tur Abdin focus group website

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Exhibition of Photographs of Tur Abdin by Guilio Paletta

The Exhibition is being sponsored by the Tur Abdin Focus Group. The Focus Group exists as an ecumenical British group to support the people of Tur Abdin, to encourage dialogue and support links between the UK and Tur Abdin, cherishing the living inheritance of holy places and praying communities. We are honoured by the presence of His Grace The Archbishop of Canterbury who will formally open the Exhibition on Monday, 27th September 2010. We are grateful to the Dean and Chapter for their kind permission to hold the Exhibition in Southwark Cathedral.

Giulio Paletta is an Italian photo-journalist who specialises in small Christian groups throughout the world, including the small Syrian Orthodox community in London in Collage.

His photographs of Tur Abdin form and important visual commentary on the life of the Syrian Orthodox, the people whose ancestors have practised their Christian faith in Southeast Turkey from Roman and Sassanid times, still speaking in Aramaic language, still farming their ancient lands, still singing and worshipping in ancient holy places within the vast synthesis which is modern Turkey.

The Tur Abdin Focus Group comprises

The Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, Chair
Mor Athanasius Tourma Dakkama, Metropolitan, Patriarchal Vicar of UK
Metropolitan Seraphim of Glastonbury
The Venerable Douglas McKittrick, Archdeacon of Chichester
Archdeacon Yacoub Ghattas, Syrian Orthodox Church
John Richardson, Ecumenical Officer, Churches Together in South London
The Revd Stephen Griffith, MBE, Secretary
Gabriel Malas, Tur Abdin UK Representative
Wilfred Wong
Zeito Bahdi Kurter
Sabine Wild
Janan Abdulnour
Aziz Abdulnour