Items - Architecture and Asceticism

The north aisle of the church facing east

This image shows the east end of the northern aisle of the chapel with the font in the foreground and the Baptism of Christ and Simeon Stylites behind.

Type: Architecture
Tags: 1095, An Nabk, Architecture, Baptism of Christ, Baptismal Font, Baptistery, Church, Deir Mar Musa, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Fresco, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Monastery, Simeon Stylites, Syria

Fresco of Simeon Stylites

This fresco is to the north of the Baptism of Christ fresco in the north east corner of the chapel. The untidy looking inscription beneath the painting is contemporary with the picture and is dated 1095, thus fixing the date of the second level of paintings in the church.

Type: Painting
Tags: 1095, An Nabk, Arabic, Arabic Inscription, Architecture, Church, Deir Mar Musa, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Fresco, Inscription, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Monastery, Simeon Stylites, Syria

Fresco of the Baptism of Christ

This painting is on the east wall of the north aisle of the monastery chapel and is believed to have been painted in the area of the church used as a baptistery as a broken font was discovered in the valley below the church and has now been replaced in the north aisle. These frescoes are part of the second cycle painted in the chapel and date to 1095.

Type: Painting
Tags: 1095, An Nabk, Architecture, Baptism of Christ, Baptismal Font, Baptistery, Church, Deir Mar Musa, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Fresco, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Monastery, Syria

Fresco of an angel

This angel has become the most well-known fresco at Deir Mar Musa as it is used as the symbol of the modern monastic community. This fresco is on the north side of the wall adjacent to the apse and is alongside an image of the Baptism of Christ. It is part of the second of the three levels of fresco and therefore can be dated to 1095.

Type: Painting
Tags: 1095, An Nabk, Angel, Architecture, Church, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Fresco, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Monastery, Syria

Inscription dated 1419 in the name of Emir Sayf Ed-Dawleh

This Arabic inscription above the interior door of the monastery was erected in the year 1419 and in it the Emir Sayf Ed-Dawleh pledges to defend all pilgrims to the shrine from attack.

Type: Inscription
Tags: 1419, Arabic, Arabic Inscription, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Emir, Inscription, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Monastery, Qaryatayn, Sayf Ed-Dawleh, Shrine, Syria, Syrian Civil War

Views of the tower in the south east corner of the cloister

These pictures show the tower in the south west corner of the enclosure prior to re-rendering of the monastery.

Type: Architecture
Tags: Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Monastery, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syrian Civil War, Tower, Wall

Views of the cloister exterior

These pictures show the cloister after it was re-rendered - including a detail of the monastery entrance. This is contrasted with the north side of the cloister, where the render has not yet been renewed.

Type: Architecture
Tags: Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Monastery, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syrian Civil War, Wall

Details of the Byzantine sarcophagus once the surrounding walls have been dismantled

This shows details of the Byzantine sarcophagus once it has been cleared of rubble and cleaned up. Amongst the pilgrimage graffiti a star of David was discovered with two Hebrew characters, suggesting that at some point Jewish, as well as Christian and Muslim pilgrims venerated the holy man buried at the site. A number of Syriac and Arabic inscriptions on the tomb have been published in epigraphic surveys of Syria.

Type: Sculpture
Tags: Archaeological Excavation, Archaeology, Church, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Hebrew, Inscription, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Monastery, Qaryatayn, Sarcophagus, Star of David, Syria, Syriac, Syriac Inscription, Syrian Civil War

View to the south west looking over the former site of the 1938 church

This shows that the local account of a small chamber to the east of the sanctuary was correct. Local informants told of a small room to the east of the altar where those afflicted with illness stayed for three days and nights in the hope of cure from the saint.

Type: Archaeological Excavation
Tags: Archaeological Excavation, Archaeology, Church, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Monastery, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syrian Civil War

Stone arcade running east from the site of the 1938 church

A stone arcade was revealed to be running further east than the 1938 church, on the same alignment of the church so that it suggested that the building was once larger and had contracted over time as the shrine had declined in importance.