Beth Qatraye: Christianity on the Gulf coast
c. c. 410 – c. 700
Place: Beth Qatraye: Christianity on the Gulf coast
25.300, 51.200 · On the map
Supported by synod lists (410 onward) and 7th-century writers. Coordinates are a regional centroid (Qatar peninsula). The Jubail church's date is debated.
'Beth Qatraye' was the Syriac name for the Gulf coast from Qatar to Bahrain. It had Church of the East bishops from 410 (Mashmahig), and in the 7th century it produced writers such as Isaac of Nineveh (born c. 613) and Dadisho Qatraya. Churches such as the one at Jubail in eastern Arabia show a Christian presence near Arabia's markets.
People named here
- Isaac of Nineveh
- Dadisho Qatraya
- Gabriel Qatraya
Links
Text and wording
Out
Gulf monasteries: Siniya Island and Sir Bani Yas
The Siniya and Sir Bani Yas monasteries are part of the Gulf Church of the East network.
includes
attested
People and office
In
Gulf clergy and writers (e.g., Gabriel Qatraya) were part of the East Syriac school culture.
trained_clergy_for
attestedIn
Synods of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (410, 424): the Church of the East organizes
The 410 lists include Mashmahig (Bahrain) in the Gulf.
appointed_bishop_for
attested
Sources
- Wikipedia: Beth Qatraye
Wikipedia contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-11-11.
- 'Christianity in Bet Qatraye: a survey of textual and archaeological sources' (thesis)
Univ. of Bergen (BORA). Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Robert A. Carter, 'Christianity in the Gulf during the First Centuries of Islam', Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 19 (2008)
Wiley. Accessed 2026-11-11.