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)
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)
A video still shows severe damage to the exterior of the church (Deir ez-Zor Press; December 26, 2012)
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 Church of al-Sayyida Maryam al-‘Adhra’, seen from the west (Euphrates Post; December 19, 2017)
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.