Ir-Ruhaiyeh, Syria was home to a monastery in the sixth and seventh centuries. The monastery was governed by the Rule of Saint Basil under Father Abbot Isaac. Around 605, when the Persians were moving toward Ir-Ruhaiyeh, Isaac and the monks relocated to Constantinople, despite their concern over their treatment by Emperor Phokas. Among the monks at Ir-Ruhaiyeh, the most important may have been a convert, Mouamet, who was known among the monks of Ir-Ruhaiyeh for his ability to create sublime hymns.