Dair Mar Elia – Mosul, Iraq - Atlas Obscura
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Dair Mar Elia

Mosul, Iraq

The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq until ISIS blew it up twice and then drove over it with bulldozers. 

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Saint Elijah's Monastery (Dair Mar Elia), south of Mosul, Iraq, was cared for by the Chaldean Church for centuries, and Christian pilgrims continued to visit the ruins Photo courtesy of James Gordon
Left: Saint Elijah's Monastery (Dair Mar Elia), south of Mosul, Iraq, was cared for by the Chaldean Church for centuries, and Christian pilgrims continued to visit the ruins Photo courtesy of James Gordon
Right: Saint Elijah's Monastery, Mosul, Iraq - the oldest Christian monastery in Iraq Created by Doug, 18 February, 2005 and posted in Wikipedia under a GFDL license
Saint Elijah's Monastery, Mosul, Iraq - the oldest Christian monastery in Iraq Created by Doug, 18 February, 2005 and posted in Wikipedia under a GFDL license
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The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq, Dair Mar Elia, or Saint Elijah’s Monastery in English, was built in the 6th century.  The monastery was located in a fenced off area in FOB Marez and protected by the US Army Chaplin Corp, but is now under the control of ISIS.

Update: As of late 2014, this site no longer exists.  ISIS set off both surface and sub-surface bombs to destroy this historic site, then leveled the entire location with bulldozers. 

Know Before You Go

The monastery was located just south of Mosul.

christianity
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