Monastery of St. Elian

Not to be confused with the Church of Saint Elian in nearby Homs, Syria

Coordinates: 34°14′10″N 37°13′30″E / 34.23611°N 37.22500°E / 34.23611; 37.22500

Monastery of St. Elian
Deir Mar Elian al-Sheikh
Location within Syria
Monastery information
Other names Mar Elian
Order Syrian Catholic
Established 5th century
Disestablished 21 August 2015 (2015-08-21)
Dedicated to St. Julian (Mar Elian)
Abbot Jacques Mourad
Site
Location Al-Qaryatayn, Homs, Syria
Coordinates 34°14′10″N 37°13′30″E / 34.236111°N 37.225°E / 34.236111; 37.225
Visible remains ?

The Monastery of St. Elian was a Syrian Catholic monastery near the town of Al-Qaryatayn, on the road to Palmyra, in the Homs Governorate of central Syria. It was destroyed on 21 August 2015 by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS), whose acts of terror in the Syrian Civil War include many more acts of vandalism and violence against non-Salafists and historical heritage.

ISIL released images showing the demolition of the monastery.[1] St. Elian Monastery housed a 5th-century tomb and served as a major pilgrimage site.[2] Parts of the monastery, including the foundations, were 1,500 years old.[3][4]

The group had captured the area earlier in August. The group also imprisoned a number of Christian civilians.[1] The monastery's superior, Jacques Mourad, was abducted by ISIL in May 2015 and escaped after 5 months of captivity.[5] Threatened with execution, he escaped from the ISIL-held territory, leaving most of his congregation behind.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 Islamic State in Syria demolishes ancient Mar Elian monastery, 21 August 2015, BBC
  2. ↑ "News from The Associated Press". Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  3. ↑ Nick Gutteridge. "Islamic State: ISIS digs up saint's bones after bulldozing Christian church in Syria - World - News - Daily Express". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  4. ↑ Kanishk Tharoor and Maryam Maruf. "Museum of Lost Objects: Mar Elian Monastery". bbc.co.uk.
  5. ↑ "'It's truly a miracle' – kidnapped Syrian priest escapes from Islamic State". catholicnewsagency.com. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "The Syrian Catholic priest who escaped IS captivity - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
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