Telleskuf: Between Past and Present
By Ghazwan Ilyas
Translation by Hanan Qia
Telleskuf (Tel Keppe) is a Chaldean name composed of two parts: Tella Zqeepa — Tella meaning “hill” and Zqeepa meaning “upright” or “cross.” The town’s origins date to the mid–second millennium B.C.
Ancient manuscripts reference Telleskuf. In the archives of the Chaldean Diocese of Kirkuk, there is a manuscript written in 1582 by Abraham bin Bid‘a of Telleskuf. In the Monastery of Our Lady, there are two more Chaldean manuscripts written by Fr. Ibrahim of Telleskuf — one in 1793 and another in 1794 — as well as another by Toma bin Nisan of Telleskuf in 1819.
The Berlin Library also holds three Chaldean manuscripts from Telleskuf. Notably, the town is mentioned in Yaqut al-Hamawi’s Muʿjam al-Buldan (Geographical Dictionary), while neighboring villages — including Tel Kaif, Baqofa, Batnaya, and Alqosh — are not.
Al-Hamawi described it as: “Tell Asqaf, pronounced as one word — the Hill of Bishops — a large Christian village belonging to Mosul, east of the Tigris.”
Telleskuf lies in the northern Nineveh Plain, administratively part of the Tel Kaif District and ecclesiastically belonging to the Chaldean Diocese of Alqosh. The town occupies a central position among its sister villages — about 15 km south of Alqosh and 13 km north of Tel Kaif — making it a strategic midpoint and a natural link between the northern Christian towns. Historically, it served as a resting station and meeting point for caravans traveling to and from Nineveh.
The first elementary school in Telleskuf opened in 1923–24. Today, the town has six schools across all grade levels, along with several public institutions and government offices.
Agriculture remains an important livelihood; the town’s fertile lands — around 25,000 dunams (editor’s note: one dunam is equal to 2,500 square meters) — are cultivated with wheat, barley, legumes, and melons. Some residents also engage in trade, private businesses, and government employment. In earlier times, many practiced traditional crafts such as pottery, wool spinning, carpet weaving, and leather tanning — trades that have largely vanished, replaced by carpentry, barbering, and butchery.
Telleskuf is bordered to the north by the Yazidi villages of Khushaba, Sreshka and Dogat; to the west by Khattara Kebir, Telsin and Meskalat; to the south by Kfarouk, Kani Sherin, Falfil and the Christian village of Batnaya; and to the east by Baqofa, birthplace of the scholar and bishop Mar Yaqub Augin Manna.
Before the ISIS invasion of 2014, Telleskuf was home to over 2,500 Chaldean families.
For deeper insights, we interviewed Issam Shaba Falful, a well-known writer and artist from Telleskuf, regarded as one of the region’s prominent cultural figures.
Neighborhoods and Old Quarters
Mr. Issam explains that, like other towns and villages, Telleskuf consists of many neighborhoods and traditional quarters, separated by alleys, small valleys, courtyards, and threshing floors. Below is a list of all the old and modern neighborhoods:
Old Neighborhoods of Telleskuf
1. Mahalla d-Dabbaghi (Tanners’ Quarter) – includes Bayta Yaqu Tooma Dko and Bayta Mamiyi
2. Mahalla Shiwa Dqeebo (Mother Hen Pond Quarter)
3. Hayy d-Dki
4. Hayy Jadda Itqeta (Old Street)
5. Mahally Dbay ‘Am Sawa and Bay Kanuzzi
6. Hayy D-Dliya
7. Mahally Dbay Qasha
8. Mahally Dbay ‘Arbo, Bay Shmonka, and Za‘ifa
9. Mahally Dbay Yedko (or Dbay ‘Ako)
10. Mahalla Mar Yaqub
11. Hayy Mar Gorgis
12. Alwola ‘Alaya
13. Mahally D-Tla
14. Hayy Ra’mta
15. Mahally Dbay Khamro
Modern Neighborhoods
1. Hayy al-Jundi (Soldier’s Quarter)
2. Hayy al-Salam (Peace Quarter)
3. Hayy Dki al-Jadid (New Dki)
4. Hayy al-Dhubbat (Officers’ Quarter)
5. Hayy Akkad (formerly “al-Hawasim”)
6. Hayy al-Noor (Light Quarter)
7. Hayy Ashur
The Market
Its strategic location made the market of Telleskuf a major commercial hub, offering everything visitors needed. For decades, people from surrounding areas — of diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds — flocked to it. However, ISIS devastated the town, paralyzing all its facilities. Today, residents are working hard to revive commercial life and restore the market’s past vitality.
Monasteries, Churches, and Shrines
Issam explains that Telleskuf is an ancient historical town with many archaeological sites, some dating back centuries before Christianity. With the spread of the faith, numerous monasteries and churches appeared, particularly in the early centuries. Here are the known ones, though information is limited:
1. Monastery of Avni Maran – Remains of the monastery cemetery and its western wall still exist.
2. Monastery of Mar Sahdona (Sadona).
3. Church of Mar Yaqub al-Muqatta‘ (St. James the Intercisus) – before renovation.
4. Church of Mar Gorgis (St. George), the town’s patron saint – renovated in 2019 under Fr. Dr. Salar Bodagh.
5. Church and Shrine of Mart Shmoni (St. Shmuni) – renovated in 2020.
6. Old Convent of the Nuns, near the Church of Mar Yaqub al-Muqatta‘.
7. Shrine of the Virgin Mary.
Traditional Clothing
Traditional men’s attire included the Karktha, Shawqta, Bshma, Shbukhtha, Dmir, Shrowal and ‘Abaya, with a head covering known as the Bushiyya, later replaced by the Keffiyeh. Over time, young men adopted Arab-style garments such as the Saia, Ghutra and ‘Iqal.
Women’s clothing has retained its elegance and authenticity for centuries. It includes the Qabaya, Shawqta, Khassa, Bushiya, Mizir, Brmala, Maqtanitha and Karktha.
Tragedies and Dark Events
Telleskuf has suffered numerous calamities, the most devastating being the Mongol massacre of 1236 A.D. In a Chaldean poem by Giwargis Warda, he vividly describes the atrocities committed in Karamles, Erbil, Telleskuf, and the Monastery of Beth Qoqe, where thousands were slaughtered, fields and houses burned, and churches destroyed.
The Church of Mar Yaqub al-Muqatta‘ in Telleskuf was completely demolished.
Later, Telleskuf endured another attack by the Mongol general Baryaq in 1508, the same campaign that struck Tel Kaif, Alqosh, and the Monastery of Rabban Hormizd. In 1743, during Nader Shah’s siege of Mosul, Persian forces again invaded Telleskuf, leaving destruction similar to that in Karamles, Bakhdida, Bartella and other towns east of Mosul.
Migration and Continuity
Telleskuf has not been spared the waves of emigration that have drained many Christian towns in Iraq. Migration occurred in successive phases, driven by hardship and insecurity.
Despite all, Telleskuf remained vibrant and alive with its Chaldean Christian community until the ISIS occupation in August 2014, followed by another assault on May 3, 2015, crushing hopes of return.
After liberation, the remaining residents rebuilt their town with resilience, clearing the rubble to revive their ancestral heritage. Today, they strive to preserve Telleskuf’s historical, social, cultural, and spiritual legacy.
The people of Telleskuf have also excelled abroad, forming thriving Chaldean communities in San Diego, California, Sydney, New South Wales and other cities worldwide. They established social associations and nurtured distinguished figures who proudly uphold their Telleskuf identity.