- Collection: The Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project (DMEAP)
98 Items
Ostracon
Apart from the pilgrim graffiti on the sarcophagus of Mar Elian, the only evidence of Syriac epigraphy found on the site was this fragment inscribed on a ceramic sherd.
Type: Archaeological Find
Tags: Archaeological Finds, Ceramic, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Ostracon, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syriac, Syriac Inscription, Syrian Civil War
Photographs of ceramic finds at the end of the 2002 excavation season
These photographs were taken as a sample of the most diagnostic ceramic finds from the first season. In the second and third season the DGAM sent a ceramic specialist to catalogue and, where appropriate, to restore the finds.
Type: Archaeological Find
Tags: Archaeological Excavation, Archaeological Finds, Ceramic, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Monastery, Qaryatayn, Sherds, Syria
Reliquary casket
These pictures show the lid of a Byzantine reliquary casket that was discovered buried north of the altar of the 1938 church, along with a shattered glass vessel and the broken bases of two other Byzantine reliquaries.
Type: Archaeological Find
Tags: Archaeological Excavation, Archaeology, Byzantine, Church, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Monastery, Qaryatayn, Reliquary, Syria, Syrian Civil War
Reopening of Intervention 7 to investigate how it relates to the east end of the church
These pictures show the backfilling around intervention 7 being removed in preparation for continuing work in the trench.
Type: Archaeological Excavation
Tags: Archaeological Excavation, Archaeology, Church, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syrian Civil War
Restoration of the mud brick chamber adjoining the tower
These pictures document the restoration of the chamber adjoining the tower in the south east corner of the cloister.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Architecture, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syrian Civil War
Restoration of the roof of the room north of the tower and the tower
These pictures were taken during the restoration of the tower and its adjoining chamber.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Architecture, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syrian Civil War
Sarcophagus of Mar Elian 
The Byzantine sarcophagus believed to hold the remains of Mar Elian (St. Julian) and is covered with pilgrimage graffiti believed to date back to at least the C9th. The form of the sarcophagus is late antique and dates from the C5th-C8th. These images show the tomb before it was cleaned by excavators and damage to the grave, reputedly caused by villagers in the 1920s, is clearly visible. It also shows the sarcophagus before its coverings were removed with the votive offerings placed at the shrine by the faithful and the green satin covering given by local Muslims denoting the tomb of a holy man in their tradition.
Type: Sculpture
Tags: Archaeology, Church, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Monastery, Qaryatayn, Sarcophagus, Shrine, Syria, Syriac, Syriac Inscription, Tomb
Site of the east end of the former 1938 church
This is a view of the east end of the 1938 church after the structure was dismantled.
Type: Archaeological Excavation
Tags: Church, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Monastery, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syrian Civil War
Site visit to Dayr Mar Elian with students in 2010
These pictures were taken on the way to begin excavations at Zalabiyeh in 2010 and show the state of the Syrian excavation, site museum and elements of the new church and cloister to the north as they stood in the last year before the Syrian civil war began.
Type: Archaeological Excavation
Tags: Archaeological Excavation, Archaeological Finds, Archaeology, Architecture, Church, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Monastery, Museum, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syrian Civil War
Steps up from the monastery entrance
The steps up from the entrance clearly illustrate the fact that the ground level of the monastery is much higher than that outside the walls.
Type: Archaeological Excavation
Tags: Archaeology, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Excavation, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syrian Civil War