Oldest Christian monastery in Iraq is razed

4:55:00 PM
Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press in January 2016 confirm the community’s oldest place of worship, the 1,400-year-old St. Elijah’s Monastery, has been reduced to a field of rubble, yet another victim of the Islamic State's relentless destruction. (Otrakji family collection on mideastimage.com via AP)The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble, yet another victim of the Islamic State's relentless destruction of ancient cultural sites.
For 1,400 years the compound survived assaults by nature and man, standing as a place of worship recently for U.S. troops. In earlier centuries, generations of monks tucked candles in the niches and prayed in the cool chapel. The Greek letters chi and rho, representing the first two letters of Christ's name, were carved near the entrance.
Now satellite photos obtained exclusively by The Associated Press confirm the worst fears of church authorities and preservationists — St. Elijah's Monastery of Mosul has been completely wiped out.
  • In this Nov. 7, 2008, photo, U.S. Army soldiers tour St. Elijah's Monastery on Forward Operating Base Marez on the outskirts of Mosul, Iraq. Maj. Geoffrey Bailey, now a US Army command chaplain in Kabul, Afghanistan, who led prayers and tours at St. Elijah’s, said news of the destruction of the monastery by militants was “incredibly disappointing. In the midst of the strife and suffering of combat, a symbol of hope set against the verdant hills of Mosul sprang forth and provided a momentary respite for weary sojourners, much like it had for...centuries prior.”
  • S. Army, soldiers celebrate a Catholic Easter mass at St. Elijah's Monastery on the outskirts of Mosul, Iraq. Before it was razed, the partially restored, 27,000-square-foot stone and mortar building stood fortress-like on a hill above Mosul. Although the roof was largely missing, it had 26 distinctive rooms including a sanctuary and chapel. Satellite photos taken after its destruction show “that the stone walls have been literally pulverized,” said imagery analyst Stephen Wood, CEO of Allsource Analysis, who pinpointed the destruction between August and September 2014. (Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika/U.S. Army via AP)
  • 7, 2005, photo released by the U.S. Army, soldiers can see the city of Mosul, Iraq, from the top of the stairwell at St. Elijah’s Monastery during a visit arranged by Capt. John P. Smith, a chaplain with the 142nd Corps Support Battalion. U.S. troops and advisers had worked to protect and honor the monastery situated on a Forward Operating Base, a hopeful endeavor in a violent place and time. (Sgt. Mitch Armbruster/U.S. Army via AP)
  • 1, 2006, photo provided by the U.S. Army Col. Juanita Chang shows St. Elijah's Monastery on the outskirts of Mosul, Iraq. This month, at the request of AP, satellite imagery firm DigitalGlobe tasked a high resolution camera passing over the site to grab photos, and then pulled earlier images of the same spot from their vast archive of pictures. Imagery analyst Stephen Wood, CEO of Allsource Analysis, confirmed that the monastery is has been completely destroyed and identified the date of destruction between Aug. 27 and Sept. 28, 2014. (Col. Juanita Chang/U.S. Army via AP)
  • S. Army reserve Col. Mary Prophit shows U.S. service members during a sunrise Easter Mass at St. Elijah's Monastery, or Dair Mar Elia, in Mosul, Iraq. For 1,400 years the compound survived assaults by nature and man, standing as a place of worship most recently for U.S. troops. (Col. Mary Prophit/U.S. Army via AP)
  • FILE - This Nov. 7, 2008, file photo shows the sanctuary of St. Elijah's Monastery on Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, Iraq, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad. Maj. Geoffrey Bailey, now a U.S. Army command chaplain in Kabul, Afghanistan, who led prayers and tours at St. Elijah’s, said the monastery "provided troops a historical glimpse into the great history of Iraq and a chance to indirectly connect with the people who make the country culturally and sociologically rich and worth fighting for.”
  • S. Army, soldiers celebrate a Catholic Easter Mass at St. Elijah's Monastery on the outskirts of Mosul, Iraq. Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press confirm the worst fears of church authorities and preservationists: Iraq's oldest Christian monastery has been completely wiped out since the takeover of Mosul by the Islamic State group. (Sgt. Shannon R. Gregory/U.S. Army via AP)
FILE - In this Nov. 7, 2008 file photo, U.S. Army chaplain Geoffrey Bailey leads soldiers on a tour of St. Elijah's Monastery on Forward Operating Base Marez on the outskirts of Mosul, 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq. The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq, St. Elijah’s stood as a place of worship for 1,400 years. Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press confirm that the monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble, yet another victim of the Islamic State's relentless destruction.

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