EFTA Document EFTA01803737

From: Sultan Bin Sulayem Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 8:15 AM To: Jeffrey Epstein Subject: Christian monastery and church on Sir Bani Yas Island Ancient secrets of Sir Bani Yas Island unveiled Jen Thomas <http://www.thenatio=al.ae/authors/jen-thomas> SIR BANI YAS ISLAND // One o= the most significant archeological finds in the Gulf is about to reveal im=ortant details about life 1,400 years ago. Relate= ■ It starte= with pottery in a llama pen <http://www.thenationalae/news/uae-=ews/it-started-with-pottery-in- a-llama-pen> • Sir Bani Yas, an island of heritage <http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation=editorial/sir-bani-yas- an-island-of-heritage> • UAE heritage • Christ=ans in the Middle East <httpl=www.thenational.ae/topic/subjects/christians-in-the-middle-east> =/div> The remain= of a Christian monastery and church on Sir Bani Yas Island, believed to ha=e been settled around 600 AD by a community of 30 to 40 monks, opened for p=blic viewing on Saturday. The site, unearthed in the early 1990s, is believed to b= the only permanent settlement ever established on the island, and research=rs said the find has valuable historical and religious significance.=/p> EFTA_R1_00148350 EFTA01803737 "Twenty year= ago, we had no idea that Christians came this far south and east in the Ar=bian Gulf," Dr Joseph Elders, the project's archaeological director, who be=an excavating the site nearly two decades ago, said yesterday as he led rep=rters on a tour of the site. "This shows that Christianity had penetrated far fur=her than we thought before ... We don't have many monasteries from this per=od." T=e monastery complex, a multi-building compound located on the eastern side o= the 87-square-kilometre island, is the only pre-Islamic Christian site kno=n in the UAE. Discovered in 1992 during an archaeological survey, the monas=ery is believed to have been an important destination for pilgrims travelli=g along a trade route to India. "We think quite a lot of visitors came to the mon=stery," said Dr Elders. "These people wanted to be visited." A separate room for v=sitors was built within the monastery complex itself, where pilgrims could p=ay or leave gifts. Dr Elders, who is also the chief archaeologist for the C=urch of England, said the archaeological team believes the visitors might h=ve been attracted to the site because it was founded by a saint, or holy ma=. The=archaeological team has unearthed only one body at the monastery site, but t=e discovery was a significant one. The church was built around the grave, w=ich might have belonged to the settlement's founder, the same local saint w=ose presence brought travellers to the island. "Academically, it's fascinating andrreally important," said Peter Hellyer, the excavation's project manager and=a columnist for The National. "It explains a lot more about the heritage of=this country. Most people wouldn't know that history, that there was Christ=anity here before Islam." Christianity spread throughout the Gulf between the yea=s 50 and 350, following the trade routes. The inhabitants of the 7th-centur= settlement probably belonged to the Nestorian Church, or Church of the Eas=. Researchers believe the wealthy community was made up of a mixture of peo=le from along the Gulf, and local residents who spoke Syriac and Arabic. The comm=nity probably chose the site based on its location at the head of a natural=sheltered harbour. =span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 2=5, 255, 0);">Archaeologists have discovered 15 types of pottery at the comp=ex. The complex itself comprises monks' cells, kitchens and animal pens sur=ounding a courtyard with a church dominating the centre. The artefacts, inc=uding bowls, jars, glass vessels and ceremonial vases, reveal that the monk= had ties to modern-day Iraq, India and maybe Bahrain. Page 2 of 2 "We are delighted to be opening this ancient site to=the public, which gives visitors an insight into the rich history of Sir Ba=i Yas Island and the UAE," said Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, the ch=irman of the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC). "We are pro=d of our heritage and are therefore focused on creating a multi-experience t=urism destination where guests are able to enjoy a variety of activities, w=ile protecting and preserving the history and culture of our country, as we=l as the natural environment of the island." The 65-square-metre archeological si=e, which is enclosed within a protective fence and covered as part of conse=vation and preservation efforts, is part of an effort to highlight the hist=ry and heritage of the island. Envisioned as part of the Desert Islands tourism experience, a visit to the monastery could eventually be part of a heri=age trail that would include other significant archaeological sites on the i=land. 2 EFTA_R1_00148351 EFTA01803738 =eveloped by TDIC, Desert Islands is a collection of eight natural islands t=at boast a five-star resort and spa, a wildlife reserve home to more than 3= species of free roaming animals, and outdoor activities including mountain=biking, snorkelling and kayaking. The monastery complex, including a sanctuary, n=ve, chapel and tower, is now open to the public, but further excavation on t=e site is expected to continue for several years. At least eight houses hav= been unearthed, and the team has recently begun excavating a new structure=adjacent to the main monastery building. TDIC and the archaeological team are work=ng to preserve the site, which could eventually include a visitors' centre a=d educational displays. "Opening the site to visitors marks an exciting tourism d=velopment for the island as we seek to discover and share more about the pa=t lives and human stories that have played their part in creating its fasci=ating history," said Dr Elders. The team has been able to determine the use of ea=h room in the monastery. A priest's door, decorated with plaster crosses an= located at the south end of the monastery, led into a chapel and side room=used for holding holy vessels. In this room, archaeologists found two circu=ar holes in the floor most likely used to anchor a ladder that reached into=a bell tower to announce the time of worship. A main room, used by the monks livi=g in the settlement, and a narthex at the west end of the complex were prob=bly the setting for services that included wine and unleavened Arabic bread= The main monastery building also included a niche for holy water and a bra=ier for cooking. Despite the details that the research team could glean from stud=ing the artefacts, Dr Elders said the archaeologists still did not know man= details about how the settlers lived. "They had several acts of worship a day," h= said. "And they worked hard, mostly building work. They probably had goats= so they herded goats, transported water and made pottery." Notably, the small Si= Bani Vas Island settlement continued to operate even after the spread of l=lam throughout the Gulf. That is a testament to the open-mindedness of the t=me, Dr Elders said. "That the monastery continued for at least a century after the=arrival of Islam shows that tolerance of the Muslims quite close to their h=artland," he said. "We know that there are stories of everyone living in ha= mony." =nbsp; Chronology=/p> 50-=50 Christianity spreads throughout the Gulf region, following=the trade routes to India and China. Circa 600 Monastery at=Sir Bani Yas is established; its use continues into the early Islamic perio=. 750 Monastic buildings are abandoned and begin to decay.<=span> 3 EFTA_R1_00148352 EFTA01803739 1820s British East India Company surveys the island and the w=ters around it, drawing attention to natural harbour (Meriton Bay). British=sources mention pearl beds. 19305 Abandonment of villages o= Sir Bani Yas Island after the collapse of the pearl trade. 1950s-60s Sir Bani Yas used by British Navy for target practice. =p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: 0px; margin: 0px; border-styl=: none; padding: 0px; font-style: inherit; ">1971-200= Island is privately owned by Sheikh Zayed and developed as w=ldlife sanctuary. 1991 First pieces of pottery discovered in=former llama pens by a party from the Emirates Natural History Group. 199=-1996 Survey and excavations by Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeologi=al Survey. 1996 Excavation ends. 2007 Islan= begins to be developed as a tourist resort. 2009 Start of a=programme of excavation, conservation and development led by Tourism Develo=ment and Investment Company to enable the partly excavated monastery site t= be displayed. One-page article SIR BANI YAS ISLAND // One of the most sig=ificant archeological finds in the Gulf is about to reveal important detail= about life 1,400 years ago. Related=/h3> It started with pottery i= a llama pen <http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/it-started=with-pottery-in- a-llama-pen> • =a href="http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/editorial/sir-b=ni-yas-an-island-of-heritage" title="Sir Bani Yas, an island of heritage"=style="outline: Opx; margin: Opx; border-style: none; padding: Opx; font-=tyle: inherit; text-decoration: none; border-width: ipx; -webkit-text-size-=djust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> <http://www.thenationa=.ae/staticfiles/images/portal/comment.gif> Si= Bani Yas, an island of heritage • ■ Sir Bani Yas Is=and is rich with history <http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/sir-b=ni-yas-island-is-rich- with-history> The remains of a Christian m=nastery and church on Sir Bani Yas Island, believed to have been settled ar=und 600 AD by a community of 30 to 40 monks, opened for public viewing on S=turday. The site, unearthed in the early 1990s, is believed to be the only perman=nt settlement ever established on the island, and researchers said the find=has valuable historical and religious significance. "Twenty years ago, we had no i=ea that Christians came this far south and east in the Arabian Gulf," Dr Jo=eph Elders, the project's archaeological director, who began excavating the=site nearly two decades ago, said yesterday as he led reporters on a tour o= the site. "This shows that Christianity had penetrated far further than we thoug=t before ... We don't have many monasteries from this period." 4 EFTA_R1_00148353 EFTA01803740 The monastery comp=ex, a multi-building compound located on the eastern side of the 87-square-=ilometre island, is the only pre-Islamic Christian site known in the UAE. D=scovered in 1992 during an archaeological survey, the monastery is believed=to have been an important destination for pilgrims travelling along a trade=route to India. "We think quite a lot of visitors came to the monastery," said Dr=Elders. "These people wanted to be visited." A separate room for visitors was bui=t within the monastery complex itself, where pilgrims could pray or leave g=fts. Dr Elders, who is also the chief archaeologist for the Church of Engla=d, said the archaeological team believes the visitors might have been attra=ted to the site because it was founded by a saint, or holy man. <= style="text-align: -webkit-auto; outline: Opx; margin: Opx; border-style= none; padding: Opx; font-style: inherit; ">The archaeologica= team has unearthed only one body at the monastery site, but the discovery w=s a significant one. The church was built around the grave, which might hav= belonged to the settlement's founder, the same local saint whose presence brought travellers to the island. "Academically, it's fascinating and really import=nt," said Peter Hellyer, the excavation's project manager and a columnist f=r The National. "It explains a lot more about the heritage of this country.=Most people wouldn't know that history, that there was Christianity here be=ore Islam." Christianity spread throughout the Gulf between the years 50 and 350,=following the trade routes. The inhabitants of the 7th-century settlement p=obably belonged to the Nestorian Church, or Church of the East. Researchers=believe the wealthy community was made up of a mixture of people from along=the Gulf, and local residents who spoke Syriac and Arabic. The community probably=chose the site based on its location at the head of a natural sheltered har=our. A=chaeologists have discovered 15 types of pottery at the complex. The comple= itself comprises monks' cells, kitchens and animal pens surrounding a cour=yard with a church dominating the centre. The artefacts, including bowls, j=rs, glass vessels and ceremonial vases, reveal that the monks had ties to m=dern-day Iraq, India and maybe Bahrain. The settlement remained until about 750 a=d appears to have been peacefully abandoned. As Islam's influence spread, t=e community probably diminished slowly as the monks struggled to find new r=cruits. The newly opened archaeological site was excavated between 1993 and 1996 u=der the patronage of Sheikh Zayed, the founder of the UAE, who used Sir Ban= Yas Island as a retreat. Fieldwork had been halted until 2009 when Sheikh M=hammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, ordered excavation to resu=e. "W= are delighted to be opening this ancient site to the public, which gives v=sitors an insight into the rich history of Sir Bani Yas Island and the UAE,= said Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, the chairman of the Tourism Deve=opment and Investment Company (TDIC). "We are proud of our heritage and are=therefore focused on creating a multi-experience tourism destination where g=ests are able to enjoy a variety of activities, while protecting and preser=ing the history and culture of our country, as well as the natural environm=nt of the island." =span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 2=5, 255, 0);">The 65-square-metre archeological site, which is enclosed with=n a protective fence and covered as part of conservation and preservation e=forts, is part of an effort to highlight the history and heritage of the is=and. Envisioned as part of the Desert Islands tourism experience, a visit t= the monastery could eventually be part of a heritage trail that would incl=de other significant archaeological sites on the island. 5 EFTA_R1_00148354 EFTA01803741 Developed by TDIC, Deser= Islands is a collection of eight natural islands that boast a five-star re=ort and spa, a wildlife reserve home to more than 30 species of free roamin= animals, and outdoor activities including mountain biking, snorkelling and=kayaking. The monastery complex, including a sanctuary, nave, chapel and tower, is=now open to the public, but further excavation on the site is expected to c=ntinue for several years. At least eight houses have been unearthed, and th= team has recently begun excavating a new structure adjacent to the main mo=astery building. TDIC and the archaeological team are working to preserve the sit=, which could eventually include a visitors' centre and educational display=. "Op=ning the site to visitors marks an exciting tourism development for the isl=nd as we seek to discover and share more about the past lives and human sto=ies that have played their part in creating its fascinating history," said D= Elders. The team has been able to determine the use of each room in the monaster=. A priest's door, decorated with plaster crosses and located at the south a=d of the monastery, led into a chapel and side room used for holding holy v=ssels. In this room, archaeologists found two circular holes in the floor m=st likely used to anchor a ladder that reached into a bell tower to announc= the time of worship. A main room, used by the monks living in the settlement, an= a narthex at the west end of the complex were probably the setting for ser=ices that included wine and unleavened Arabic bread. The main monastery bui=ding also included a niche for holy water and a brazier for cooking../p> Despite the d=tails that the research team could glean from studying the artefacts, Dr El=ers said the archaeologists still did not know many details about how the s=ttlers lived. "They had several acts of worship a day," he said. "And they worked=hard, mostly building work. They probably had goats, so they herded goats, t=ansported water and made pottery." Notably, the small Sir Bani Yas Island settlem=nt continued to operate even after the spread of Islam throughout the Gulf.=That is a testament to the open-mindedness of the time, Dr Elders said. "That the=monastery continued for at least a century after the arrival of Islam shows=that tolerance of the Muslims quite close to their heartland," he said. "We=know that there are stories of everyone living in harmony." The earliest evidence=of human settlement on Sir Bani Yas Island dates to around 7,500 years ago,=experts said. More than 35 archaeological sites have been identified on the=island, including settlements from the Stone and Bronze ages. R=ad more: http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/a=cient-secrets-of-sir-bani-yas-island-unveiled#ixzz2ACZIHOT <http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/ancient-se=rets-of-sir-bani-yas-island-unveiled#ixzz2ACZIHq1T> Follow u=: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter <http://ec.tynt.com/b/rw?id=dWaPA6hc8r4PVbacwqm_6=&u=TheNationalUAE> I <=font>thenational.ae on Faceboo <http://ec.tynt.com/b/rf?id=dWaPA6hc8r4PVbacwqm_6l&u==henational.ae> k <http://ec.ty=t.com/b/rf?id=dWaPA6hc8r4PVbacwqm_6l&u=thenational.ae> Sent from my iPhone 6 EFTA_R1_00148355 EFTA01803742