Monastery of St. Elian

Not to be confused with the Church of Saint Elian in nearby Homs, Syria

Monastery of St. Elian

Deir Mar Elian al-Sheikh
Location within Syria
Monastery information
Other names	Mar Elian
Order	Syrian Catholic
Established	5th century
Disestablished	21 August 2015 (2015-08-21)
Dedicated to	St. Julian (Mar Elian)
Abbot	Jacques Mourad
Site
Location	Al-Qaryatayn, Homs, Syria
Coordinates
Visible remains	?

The Monastery of St. Elian was a Syrian Catholic monastery near the town of Al-Qaryatayn, on the road to Palmyra, in the Homs Governorate of central Syria. It was destroyed on 21 August 2015 by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS), whose acts of terror in the Syrian Civil War include many more acts of vandalism and violence against non-Salafists and historical heritage.

ISIL released images showing the demolition of the monastery. St. Elian Monastery housed a 5th-century tomb and served as a major pilgrimage site. Parts of the monastery, including the foundations, were 1,500 years old.

The group had captured the area earlier in August. The group also imprisoned a number of Christian civilians. The monastery's superior, Jacques Mourad, was abducted by ISIL in May 2015 and escaped after 5 months of captivity. Threatened with execution, he escaped from the ISIL-held territory, leaving most of his congregation behind.