dimanche 24 janvier 2016

Oldest Christian monastery in Iraq now a field of rubble

AP Photos AP Photos
ARBIL, Iraq - The Associated Press

Iraq’s oldest Christian monastery has been destroyed by ISIL extremists after surviving assaults from nature and man for 1,400 years

The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble by jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
St. Elijah’s Monastery stood as a place of worship for 1,400 years, including most recently for U.S. troops. In earlier millennia, generations of monks tucked candles in the niches, prayed in the chapel, worshipped at the altar. The Greek letters chi and rho, representing the first two letters of Christ’s name, were carved near the entrance.