Dair Mar Elia

Dair Mar Elia is a destroyed monastery complex in Nineveh Governorate, northern Iraq, that once consisted of several buildings arranged around an inner courtyard. The rooms spread across roughly 2500 square meters (27,000 square feet) and included a chapel as well as other areas for monastic life.

The monastery was founded in 595 by Mar Elia and served for centuries as a spiritual center for Christians in the surrounding area. In 1743, around 150 monks were killed when they refused to convert to Islam, and in 2014 ISIS destroyed the complex completely.

Local Christians used to visit the site on set days to pray together and keep their traditions alive until 2014. The last Wednesday of November drew the largest crowds, when believers came to mark one of their most important feast days.

The site is located at coordinates 36°17′33″N 43°07′52″E and can be visited by arrangement with local authorities. Because of the security situation, it is advisable to contact officials or guides in Mosul beforehand.

In 1743, the community faced a choice between conversion and death when Persian ruler Tahmaz Nadir Shah demanded they abandon their faith. All 150 monks chose not to convert and were executed.