Deyrulzafaran Monastery is located 4 kilometers east of Mardin, overlooking the Mardin Plain. The monastery, which consists of three floors, reached its present form in the 18th century with the additions made at different times starting from the 5th century. The monastery was built on a complex that was used as a Sun Temple in BC and later as a fortress by the Romans. When the Romans withdrew from the region, St. Shleymun brought the bones of some saints here and turned the castle into a monastery.

For this reason, the monastery was formerly known as Mor Shleymun Monastery. After St. Hananyo, Metropolitan of Mardin and Kafertuth, made a major renovation starting in 793, the monastery was known as Mor Hananyo Monastery. After the 15th century, the monastery became known as Deyrulzafaran (Saffron Monastery) because of the saffron plant that grew around the monastery.