It was the dampness around the sarcophagus of Mar Elian that first led to the structural survey that revealed that the 1938 church was unstable. The cement skim on the roof was uneven and pushed the east and west walls outwards. In addition mud brick walls above a stone foundation had been clad in cement. When water penetrated cracks in the cement, the walls could not breathe and this caused the damp and instability in the church.
Creator
Emma Loosley
Date of Visit
11th August 2004
Contributor
Niall Finneran
Rights
Metadata and all media released under Creative Commons
unless otherwise indicated
Type
Archaeological Excavation
Tags
Archaeological Excavation, Archaeology, Church, Dayr Mar Elian, Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project, Mar Elian, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Qaryatayn, Sarcophagus, Syria, Syrian Civil War
Collection
The Dayr Mar Elian Archaeological Project (DMEAP)
Citation
Emma Loosley, “Views of the Byzantine sarcophagus after the 1938 church was dismantled,” Architecture and Asceticism, accessed April 19, 2024, https://architectureandasceticism.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/467.