Built by monks, nurtured by pilgrims from India: Only pre-Islamic Christian site in Muslim heartland opens to public

[BVT]

A 1,400-year-old monastery in the United Arab Emirates that is the only pre-Islamic Christian site in the region has opened to the public.

The site at Sir Bani Yas island in Abu Dhabi dates back to around 600AD. It was built by a community of 30 to 40 monks and is understood to have been established by pilgrims travelling from India.

The remains, which also include a church, chapel and tower, were unearthed in 1992 during an archaeological study. Excavations will continue as visitors come to the site with the first being allowed access on Saturday.

Read more: dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1338060/Pre-Islamic-Christian-monastery-Abu-Dhabi-opens-public.html#ixzz1gbV8J4dr

 

[BVT]

Christianity spread through the Gulf between the years 50 and 350, with the monastery’s inhabitants probably being members of the Church of the East.

Dr Elders added that the site may have been significant because of who founded it.

He said his team had only unearthed one skeleton during their dig; however it appeared that the whole church may have been built around the body.

It is thought that the man, possibly a holy man or local saint, may also have been the reason why pilgrims visited the island - with a separate room for visitors to leave gifts.

 

[BVT]

adias-uae.com/publications/elders01.pdf

 

[Dale_M]

Thanks, BVT, for the fascinating information!

Here is a tidbit more about the archeological sites:

Of these, by far the most important is that of a Nestorian monastery and church dating to the sixth-seventh centuries AD. Stucco decoration includes fragments of Nestorian crosses and vine-and-scroll patterns.

Named after Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople (mod. Istanbul) from 428 to 431, the Nestorians were a Christian sect that arrived in the Emirates in the mid-fourth century, speculated to have been brought by a monk named Jonah who established a monastery, possibly identifiable with the Nestorian establishment excavated on Sir Bani Yas island. The monastery was reportedly located on a “black island,” south of Bet Qatraye, i.e. Qatar and eastern Saudi Arabia.

gulftoday.ae/portal/a0b895af-55d8-4c5d-952b-feb19cc9e5b2.aspx

 

[BVT]

Small correction this is not the only pre-Islamic Christian site in “Muslim heartland”

World’s Oldest “Standing” Church is in Saudi Arabia - 4th Century(Church of the East).

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http://www.aina.org/images/acesaudi4.jpg

The photographs were taken by Robert and Patricia McWhorter during 1986 shortly after the ruins were partially excavated and protected by the Saudi Department of Antiquities. More pictures here
Here’s a story from Worthy News about a church in Saudi Arabia that was discovered 20 years ago, predating Islam, that has been kept hidden from the public eye. While the article notes a 4th or 5th century church in eastern Saudi Arabia has been fenced off ever since its accidental discovery 20 years ago and its exact whereabouts kept secret, the church is known to be Jubai.

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(AINA) – Bordering the Arabian Gulf and containing the towns of Dhahran, Al-Khobar, Dammam, Qatif, Hofuf and Jubail, the Eastern Province of Suadi Arabia is where oil was first discovered in Saudi Arabia in the 1930s.

Near Jubail are the ruins of what was unearthed in the mid-1980s by a group of people attempting to dig their vehicle out of the sand. The ruins are known as the Jubail Church and are acknowledged by the Saudi government, who will not issue permits to visit it because ‘the site is being excavated.’ In any case, the original ruins contained four stone crosses, which later went missing, though the marks where the crosses were are still visible. The ruins are thought to date from the 4th century, which make them older than any known church in Europe. Not much else is known but speculation is that it was in some way connected to one of the five Assyrian Church of the East bishoprics which are known to have existed in this area of the Gulf in the 4th century.

The following photographs taken by Robert and Patricia McWhorter during 1986 shortly after the ruins were partially excavated and protected by the Saudi Department of Antiquities.