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'{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2015}} {{Infobox monastery | name = Monastery of the Sahade Mar Behnam and Marth Sara | image = مورم.jpg | alt = | caption = Entrance of the monastery | full = | other_names = | order = [[Syriac Catholic Church]] | established = 4th century | founder = Syrian Orthodox Monk's | nodislink = | mother = | dedication = [[Mar Behnam]], Mart Sara | diocese = | churches = | abbot = | prior = | people = | location = near [[Bakhdida|Beth Khdeda]] | map_type = Iraq | coord = {{coord|36.137778|43.406389|type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | oscoor = | remains = Destroyed | public_access = | other_info = }} '''Monastery of the Martyrs Mar Behnam and Marth Sarah''' ({{lang-syr|ܕܝܪܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܒܗܢܡ ܘܡܪܬ ܣܪܐ}}, {{lang-ar|دير مار بهنام}}, ''Mar Behnam Monastery''), was a [[Syriac Catholic Church|Syriac Catholic]] monastery in northern [[Iraq]] in the village [[Khidr Ilyas]] close to the town of [[Bakhdida|Beth Khdeda]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jones|first1=Christopher|title=Another Treasure Lost in Iraq: The Story of Mar Behnam Monastery|url=http://hyperallergic.com/216393/another-treasure-lost-in-iraq-the-story-of-mar-behnam-monastery/|accessdate=24 October 2016|work=[[Hyperallergic]]|date=23 June 2015}}</ref> It was destroyed on March 19, 2015 by [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3002530/Another-blow-Christianity-civilisation-ISIS-destroy-4th-Century-Mar-Benham-monastery-Iraq.html|title=ISIS destroy 4th Century Christian monastery in Iraq|publisher=}}</ref> ==History== The monastery was built in the 4th century by a.king named [[Sennacherib II|Senchareb]] as a penance for killing his son [[Mar Behnam|Behnam]] and daughter Sarah after they converted to Christianity.<ref name=Bakhdida>[http://www.bakhdida.net/Namrood/BehnamandSara.htm بهنام وسارة, الصرح والتاريخ], Bakhdida.com {{ar icon}}</ref> The monastery, after its establishment continued its work and contributed greatly to the Christian world under the care of the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]]. Sculptures in the church show that renovations were done in 1164 and between 1250-1261. Records show that the monastery suffered greatly during the period from 1743-1790 which was due to attacks carried out by [[Nader Shah]], the then-[[muslim]] ruler of [[Persia]], against the Christians in the region.<ref>http://www.aina.org/aol/syriac.htm#Bihnam {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151227122045/http://www.aina.org/aol/syriac.htm |date=December 27, 2015 }}</ref> The monks of the monastery established contact with [[Catholic Church|Rome]] in the 18th century, which led to the gradual conversion of the inhabitants of [[Bakhdida|Beth Khdeda]] to the [[Syriac Catholic Church]].<ref name=copt/> In 1790 the monastery was taken over by the Catholic Church and was managed for eight years until the Syriac Orthodox church took it back. For some unknown reason, the monks abandoned the monastery in 1819. The monastery changed hands again to the Syriac Catholic Church in 1839, which has cared for it to the present time. The monastery belonged to the [[Church of the East]] for at least ten centuries, which is attested to by rare [[Old Turkic alphabet|Turkic]] inscriptions from the 13th century left by [[Mongols|Mongol]] pilgrims. Before turning to the hand of the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]], the whole region converted to [[Monophysitism]] and the monastery became the residence as well as the resting place of a number of [[List of Syriac Orthodox Patriarchs of Antioch|Syriac Orthodox Patriarchs]].<ref name="copt">[http://www.coptcatholic.net/section.php?hash=aWQ9MjYyNA%3D%3D دير مار بهنام الشهيد في مدينة الموصل بالعراق] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320120106/http://www.coptcatholic.net/section.php?hash=aWQ9MjYyNA%3D%3D |date=March 20, 2012 }}, CopticCatholic.com {{ar icon}}</ref> == Current status == [[File:Monastery of Mar Behnam.jpg|alt=Syriac Catholic Monastery of Mar Behnam, May 1909, taken by Gertrude Bell|thumb|left|Syriac Catholic Monastery of Mar Behnam, May 1909, taken by Gertrude Bell]] The monastery was renovated in 1986, and was visited by thousands of Christians and Muslims yearly until ISIS took control of the area.<ref name=Bakhdida/> During the [[Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)|2014 Northern Iraq offensive]], [[Jihadism|jihadist]] troops of [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] took control of the monastery.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/34673/ | title=The new plight of Christians in Mosul | publisher=[[La Stampa]] | work=Vatican Insider | date=June 11, 2014 | accessdate=June 24, 2014 | author=Girgio Bernadelli}}</ref> The troops removed [[Christian crosses|crosses]] from the monastery,<ref>{{cite news|author1=Vivian Salama|author2=Cara Anna|title=Outrage: Extremists take ancient statues, damage Iraqi site|url=http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/world/article/Iraqi-forces-push-toward-Tikrit-in-battle-against-6118430.php|accessdate=March 6, 2015|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> threatened monks with execution and then expelled the monks with nothing but the clothes on their backs.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hawramy|first1=Fazel|title=Iraqi Christians in Mosul told by Isis to convert to Islam or be executed|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/iraqi-christians-mosul-isis-convert-islam-or-be-executed|accessdate=July 24, 2014|work=The Guardian|date=July 24, 2014}}</ref> On March 19, 2015 Islamic State released photos showing the blowing up of the historic tomb of [[Saint Behnam]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/isis-blows-famed-4th-century-mar-behnam-catholic-monastery-iraq-1492703|title=Isis 'blows up famed 4th-century Mar Behnam Catholic monastery' in Iraq|first=Gianluca|last=Mezzofiore|date=March 19, 2015|publisher=}}</ref> After more than 2 years of occupation, the monastery and its surrounding area was liberated by [[Iraqi Security Forces]] on November 20, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://isis.liveuamap.com/en/2016/20-november-iraqi-security-forces-have-retaken-monastery|title=Iraqi security forces have retaken Monastery of the Martyrs Mar Behnam and Marth Sarah southeast Mosul - News from war on ISIS in English from Iraq, Syria - Deir ez-Zur operation, Raqqa operation - isis.liveuamap.com|website=News from war on ISIS in English from Iraq, Syria - Deir ez-Zur operation, Raqqa operation - isis.liveuamap.com}}</ref> {{clearleft}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External link== {{Commonscatinline}} {{Nineveh Plains}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Christianity in Nineveh Governorate]] [[Category:Eastern Catholic monasteries in Iraq]] [[Category:Christian monasteries established in the 4th century]] [[Category:Syriac Catholic church buildings]] [[Category:4th-century establishments]] [[Category:2015 disestablishments in Iraq]] [[Category:Assyrian communities in Iraq]] [[Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 2015]] [[Category:Buildings and structures destroyed by ISIL]] [[Category:Destruction of churches by Muslims]] [[Category:Destroyed churches in Iraq]] {{Christian-monastery-stub}} {{Assyrian-stub}} {{Iraq-church-stub}} {{EasternCatholic-church-stub}}'