93 Items
Clay pipes
A number of clay pipes were found during the excavation and through communication with archaeologists at the Citadel of Damascus, it was established that they were amongst the earliest evidence for tobacco use in the region.
Type: Archaeological Find
Tags: Archaeological Excavation, Archaeological Finds, Ceramic, Clay pipes, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syrian Civil War, Tobacco
Lithics
A selection of lithics found in and around Dayr Mar Elian, including a tool discovered in the bed of the wadi to the west of the monastery.
Type: Archaeological Find
Tags: Archaeological Excavation, Archaeological Finds, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Lithics, Syria, Syrian Civil War
A fragment of glazed ceramic
This fragment was the only evidence of high-status highly decorated ceramic found at Dayr Mar Elian - which was a contrast from the high-status ceramics that were found at Mar Musa - there was not enough evidence to discern whether the fragment was a decorative motif or formed part of an elaborate inscription.
Type: Archaeological Find
Tags: Archaeological Excavation, Archaeological Finds, Ceramic, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syrian Civil War
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
Fragment of garshuni manuscript
This fragment of a C19th garshuni manuscript was donated to DMEAP by a local resident whose family were guardians of a cache of Syrian Orthodox manuscripts dating back to the C17th - these manuscripts have since been presented to the Syrian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Homs.
Type: Manuscript
Tags: Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Garshuni, Manuscript, Qaryatayn, Syria, Syrian Civil War, Syrian Orthodox
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
Dayr Mar Elian panorama
This is a panorama of the old cloister looking west, with the new church and graveyard to the rear of the picture. The image was taken by a Lebanese visitor to the site in 2009 after the excavations had been completed.
Type: Archaeological Excavation
Tags: Church, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Monastery, Qaryatayn, Syria
View of the site on the completion the Syrian-led excavations at Dayr Mar Elian
A Syrian team from the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) continued excavations at Dayr Mar Elian after the end of the British project. These images were taken on a site visit with the superior of the Monastery of Mar Musa al-Habashi, Fr. Paolo Dall'Oglio and Fr. Jacques Mourad, a monk at Mar Musa and parish priest and prior of Mar Elian.
Type: Archaeological Excavation
Tags: Archaeological Excavation, Archaeology, Church, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Monastery, Qaryatayn, Syria
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
View over Qaryatayn looking east from the neighbouring hills
This view eastwards over Qaryatayn shows the wadi (seasonal watercourse) in the foreground with Dayr Mar Elian in the middle and the modern settlement in the background. The pictures face eastwards in the direction of Palmyra.
Type: Landscape
Tags: Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Desert, Landscape, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Monastery, Qaryatayn, Syria