Deir Mar Elian al-Sheikh | |
  Location within Syria | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Mar Elian |
| Order | Syriac Catholic |
| Established | 5th century |
| Disestablished | 21 August 2015 |
| Dedicated to | St. Julian (Mar Elian) |
| Abbot | Jacques Mourad |
| Site | |
| Location | Al-Qaryatayn, Homs, Syria |
| Coordinates | 34°14′10″N 37°13′30″E / 34.23611°N 37.22500°E |
| Visible remains | ? |
The Monastery of St. Elian was 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.[1] Parts of the monastery, including the foundations, were 1,500 years old.[2][3]
- ^ "News from The Associated Press". Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
- ^ Nick Gutteridge (21 August 2015). "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.
- ^ Kanishk Tharoor and Maryam Maruf (7 March 2016). "Museum of Lost Objects: Mar Elian Monastery". bbc.co.uk.