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INCIDENT REPORT FEATURE: DEIR EZ ZOR CHURCHES

U. S. DEPT. COOPERATION AGREEMENT NUMBER: S-IZ-100-17-CA021

BY Jamie O’Connell

An assessment of damage to two Christian churches in Deir ez Zor.

* This report is based on research conducted by the “Safeguarding the Heritage of the Near East Initiative,” funded by the US Department of State. Monthly reports reflect reporting from a variety of sources and may contain unverified material. As such, they should be treated as preliminary and subject to change.

A video still of a prayer service inside the church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’ (AFP News/Twitter; February 4, 2018)

Prior to the outbreak Syrian war, the largely Sunni city of Deir ez-Zor was home to several religious minorities, including Syrian Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic Christians. The pre-war Christian population was estimated to be around 3,000.

Roughly 50% of the city’s Christian population belonged to the the Syrian Orthodox Church and worshiped at the Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’ ​(Our Lady the Virgin Mary) in al-Rashidiyya neighborhood. According to Archbishop Eustathius Matta Roham of the Syrian Orthodox Archdiocese of Jazirah and the Euphrates, construction of the church took place from 1994 to 2004.

The Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’ prior to any visible damage (DigitalGlobe NextView License; August 7, 2012)

Due to its proximity to a regime military security building, the Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’ was on the frontline between the Syrian regime, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), and al-Nusra Front in 2012. It suffered minor damage in ​June 2012 during clashes between opposition forces and the Syrian regime. Regime artillery further damaged the building after the FSA captured the area.

A video still shows damage to the entrance of the Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’ (Dery News; October 3, 2012)
A video still shows the facade of the Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’ still largely intact (Dery News; October 3, 2012)
An image of the interior of the Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’ following an explosion in late October 2017 (The Orthodox Church; November 3, 2012)

In late October 2012, SANA News Agency reported that Jabhat al-Nusra detonated a car bomb at a restaurant near the church, causing severe damage to the front of the building. The Orthodox Church published a photograph of the interior of the church, which was filled with rubble.

In late December 2012, Deir ez-Zor Press published a video showing severe damage to the church and the surrounding neighborhood, reportedly the result of SARG shelling and damage from the October car bombing.

A video still shows severe damage to the exterior of the church (Deir ez-Zor Press; December 26, 2012)

Based on the video footage, much of the cladding had fallen from the facade, windows had been blown out, and there were at least two new holes present in the church’s dome. The surrounding neighborhood was also severely damaged.

By March 2013, virtually all of Deir ez-Zor’s Christians had fled the city. In April 2014, ISIS launched an attack on Deir ez-Zor that ended in July of that year, when ISIS militants expelled or executed remaining members of the FSA and al-Nusra and gained full control of the city.

Red arrows indicate areas of severe damage to the the Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’ and the surrounding area. The three arrows south of the church all indicate holes in its roof (DigitalGlobe NextView License; September 16, 2014)

The Syrian Arab Army retook Deir ez-Zor in November 2017 following a months-long campaign against ISIS. In December, Euphrates Post published a photograph that showed the exterior of the Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’. The building was in very poor condition. The facade was heavily scarred, the windows had all been blown out, and multiple holes were visible in the church’s dome.

The Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’, seen from the west (Euphrates Post; December 19, 2017)

In February 2018, the church held its first prayer service since 2012 in the ruins of the church. The service was led by Ignatius Aphrem II, Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, who presided over less than two dozen worshippers.Local bishop Maurice Amseeh was also in attendance and called on Christians to return to their city. AFP News published a video of the prayer service. Since the December 2017 photograph, more cladding appears to have fallen from the facade of the church and its condition has continued to degrade. The surrounding neighborhood is largely in ruins.

A video still of the exterior of the Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’ (AFP News/Twitter; February 4, 2018)
A video still shows the remnants of explosives in the Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’ (AFP News/Twitter; February 4, 2018)

For more information on damage to the Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’, see ASOR CHI Incident Report SHI 17-0234 in the December 2017 Monthly Report.