AMIDA. – Modern Diyarbakır, situated on the left bank of the Tigris, not far from Edessa. It was the chief town of the Roman province of Mesopotamia. Christianity penetrated there early from nearby Edessa. Bishops of A. are known from the 4th century. From the 5th century onward the see was occupied by Nestorian and Monophysite bishops.
A. OF THE ARMENIANS. – Since 1650 a Catholic bishop has resided in A. for the numerous Armenian diaspora. Monophysite Armenians, however, prevail in A. Today the see is vacant, impeded and dispersed.
A. OF THE CHALDEANS. – Giansimone VIII Sulaqà (q.v.), the first Catholic Chaldean patriarch (1553-55), had his patriarchal see in A., though only he alone did so. From 1662 onward his successors were Nestorians. In 1672 the archbishop of A., named Giuseppe, converted, and Innocent XI in 1681 proclaimed him patriarch of the Chaldeans, with residence in A., which remained the patriarchal see until 1828. It always had its own archbishop even during the period when it was a patriarchal see. Today as a Chaldean diocese it is destroyed. The Catholic Chaldeans residing in Turkey today number 6,465, served by 3 priests.
A. OF THE SYRIANS. – It is an ancient Jacobite metropolis, which was also a patriarchal see. Timothy ‘Abd al-Galil, consecrated in 1638 as bishop of A., later converted to Catholicism. In 1662 he submitted to the first Syrian Catholic patriarch, but he had already been bishop of Edessa for a year. He thus opens the series, which suffered several interruptions, of Catholic bishops of A., which, by decree of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda (13 Sept. 1888), was united to the patriarchal diocese of Mardin.