Monastery of St. Elian

{{Hatnote|Not to be confused with the Church of Saint Elian in nearby Homs, Syria}}

{{Infobox monastery

| name = Monastery of St. Elian

| native_name = Deir Mar Elian al-Sheikh

| native_name_lang = ar

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| full =

| other_names = Mar Elian

| order = Syriac Catholic

| established = 5th century

| disestablished = {{end date|df=y|2015|8|21}}

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| mother =

| dedication = St. Julian (Mar Elian)

| diocese =

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| founder =

| abbot = Jacques Mourad

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| location = Al-Qaryatayn, Homs, Syria

| map_type = Syria

| coord = {{Coord|34|14|10|N|37|13|30|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| oscoor =

| remains = ?

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}}

The Monastery of St. Elian is a Syriac Catholic monastery near the town of Al-Qaryatayn, along a trade route between the two major cities of Palmyra and Damascus 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 widespread vandalism and violence against non-Salafists and historical heritage. St. Elian Monastery housed a 5th-century tomb and served as a major pilgrimage site, particularly to those seeking a cure for bodily ailments.{{cite web|url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ISLAMIC_STATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT|title=News from The Associated Press|access-date=21 August 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109114112/http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ISLAMIC_STATE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT|archive-date=9 November 2014}} Parts of the monastery, including the foundations, were 1,500 years old.{{cite web|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/599816/ISIS-Islamic-State-Mar-Elian-monastery-Homs-Syria-bulldoze-saint|title=Islamic State: ISIS digs up saint's bones after bulldozing Christian church in Syria – World – News – Daily Express|author=Nick Gutteridge|work=Express.co.uk|date=21 August 2015 |access-date=21 August 2015}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35725220|title=Museum of Lost Objects: Mar Elian Monastery|author=Kanishk Tharoor and Maryam Maruf|publisher=BBC|date=7 March 2016}}

Destruction by ISIL

ISIL released images showing the demolition of the monastery.[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34016809 Islamic State in Syria demolishes ancient Mar Elian monastery], 21 August 2015, BBC The group had captured the area earlier in August. The group also imprisoned a number of Christian civilians. The monastery's superior, Jacques Mourad, was abducted by ISIL in May 2015 and escaped after 5 months of captivity.{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/its-truly-a-miracle-kidnapped-syrian-priest-escapes-from-islamic-state-33394/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016124416/http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/its-truly-a-miracle-kidnapped-syrian-priest-escapes-from-islamic-state-33394/|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 October 2015|title='It's truly a miracle' – kidnapped Syrian priest escapes from Islamic State|work=Catholic News Agency|access-date=19 October 2015}} Threatened with execution, he escaped from the ISIL-held territory.{{Cite news|title = The Syrian Catholic priest who escaped IS captivity – BBC News|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34639058|access-date = 2015-10-29|language = en|publisher = BBC News|date = 28 October 2015}} The area around the monastery was recaptured by the Syrian Arab Army from ISIS in April 2016. The bones and broken sarcophagus of Mar Elian were rediscovered and recovered in the ruins of the site at that time.{{Cite web|url = http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/04/05/bones-of-saint-found-in-ruins-of-monastery-destroyed-by-isis/|title = Bones of saint 'found in ruins of monastery destroyed by ISIS'|date = 5 April 2016|access-date = 9 September 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190725113857/https://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/04/05/bones-of-saint-found-in-ruins-of-monastery-destroyed-by-isis/|archive-date = 25 July 2019|url-status = dead}}

Art and architecture

The Monastery of St. Elian was constructed using stone decorated with circular patterns. It notably featured graffiti left behind by worshippers from other faiths, including Stars of David and Arabic script. The building also bore an inscription stating the monastery was under the protection of a local Muslim ruler, Emir Sayfudullah, reflecting the peaceful coexistence of Muslims and Christians living in region around the fifteenth century.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35725220|title=Museum of Lost Objects: Mar Elian Monastery|publisher=BBC|access-date=30 June 2015}}

The monastery was renovated extensively in the early 2000s, replacing the facade and restoring the recently excavated lower level.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}

Through various excavation efforts throughout the 21st century, the original structure is believed to have been a basic one, consisting of mud and brick walls with simple post and lintel entrances. Archeologists have also unearthed a large plastered iconostasis and a stone sarcophagus at the site, which some believe contained the bones of Mar Elian himself.{{cite web|url=http://architectureandasceticism.exeter.ac.uk/items/browse?tags=Mar+Elian+esh-Sharqi|title=Architecture and Asceticism|work=exeter.ac.uk|access-date=30 June 2015}}

The rebirth of the monastery

Since 2022,{{cite web | url=https://www.fides.org/en/news/72883-ASIA_SYRIA_The_rebirth_of_the_Mar_Elian_Monastery_A_Christian_story | title=ASIA/SYRIA – the rebirth of the Mar Elian Monastery. A Christian story – Agenzia Fides }} it has been restored through extensive efforts. The community led by Father Jacques Mourad rebuilt the monastery, including the crypt and church, and returned the relics of Mar Elian.

List of bishops and abbots

: Mor Julius Zmarya{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/history-of-the-zafaran-monastery-by-ignatius-aphram-barsoum-z-lib.org/page/58/mode/2up | title=History of the Za'faran Monastery | date=2009 }} (1707—1735?)

: Mor Cyril Jirjis Fattal (1727-1756{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/history-of-syriac-dioceses.-aphrem-barsoum/page/42/mode/2up | title=History of the Syriac Dioceses | date=2009 }}) and bishop of Homs

: Abouna Jacques Mourad (2000-2015)

References

Category:Eastern Catholic monasteries in Syria

Category:Buildings and structures in Homs Governorate

Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 2015

Category:Buildings and structures destroyed by ISIL

Category:Churches destroyed by Muslims

Category:Destroyed churches in Syria

Category:5th-century establishments in the Byzantine Empire

Category:2015 disestablishments in Syria