A Syrian desert monastery that was once a hub for interfaith dialogue, attracting tens of thousands, has reopened to visitors after more than a decade of war and isolation.
"We yearn for people to return. We want to see them pray and meditate with us once more, so that they may find here a space for calm, silence and contemplation," said Father Jihad Youssef, his voice echoing through the dark, empty halls of the monastery he heads.
In 2010, 30,000 people visited Deir Mar Moussa Al Habashi (St Moses the Ethiopian), a 7th-century monastery perched on top of a barren, rocky hill about 100 kilometres north of the capital, Damascus.
But the onset of civil war in 2011 and the disappearance of Fr Paolo Dall'Oglio, who had led and revived the community since 1982, scared away visitors for nearly a decade.
With security having improved in surrounding areas, the monastery reopened its doors to visitors this month.
They must climb 300 steps to reach the stone building, built on the ruins of a Roman tower and partly carved into the rock.
It has an 11th-century church adorned with icons, ancient murals and writing in Arabic, Syriac and Greek that says "God is love" and "in the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful" — a phrase used by Muslims in praise of God.
Dall'Oglio hosted interfaith seminars at the monastery, where the Christian minority and Muslims used to pray side by side, turning it into a symbol of coexistence that attracted visitors and worshippers for three decades.
The Italian Jesuit priest was expelled from Syria in 2012 for supporting a mass anti-government uprising, but returned a year later.
He disappeared in the summer of 2013, on his way to the headquarters of the group that later became known as ISIS in the city of Raqqa, where he had gone to plead for the release of kidnapped activists.
Dall'Oglio's practice of inter-religious coexistence was the exact opposite of the intolerant, murderous extremism of ISIS.
He was reported to have been executed and his body dumped in a crevice soon after his capture, but his death was never confirmed.
Fr Youssef said ISIS "most likely kidnapped him", although no one had contacted the monastery to demand ransom. "We do not know for sure whether he is alive or dead," he said.
In 2015, the monastery came under ISIS gunfire after the extremists began two years of control in the nearby Homs countryside.
"We were scared we would be kidnapped or killed at any moment", especially after ISIS reached the nearby village of Al Qaryatain and kidnapped groups of Christians there, Fr Youssef said.
ISIS abducted the monastery's former chief, Jacques Mourad, from Al Qaryatain for several months in 2015.
The group razed a monastery in the nearby village and locked hundreds of Christians in a dungeon. They were later freed, but a Christian community which once numbered hundreds in Al Qaryatain has now fallen to fewer than two dozen.
"We experienced all kinds of fear," Fr Youssef said. He added that they felt isolated in the desert monastery at the height of the fighting, and later because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
US-backed local forces defeated ISIS in eastern Syria three years ago, while Syrian government troops, supported by Russia and Iran-linked forces, have recaptured much territory from rebels.
"This is a simple monastery devoid of luxuries. There is no internet or cell coverage, making it easier to escape the hustle and bustle of the city," Fr Youssef said.
Two monks, a nun, and two postulants live in the three-storey monastery, which includes rooms for visitors, a bird farm, and an expansive library.
They live off the land and drink from a nearby well.
In the early hours of the morning, Fr Youssef calls them for breakfast from a courtyard overlooking caves carved into the hill.
The lonely hilltop refuge basks in unparalleled tranquillity.
Youssef Al Halabi, 48, has been a monk for 16 years but he said the lack of visitors left him wondering what he could do to fill his spare time.
"I started looking for ways to fill these long hours ... because sometimes we had zero yearly visitors," he said.
After his morning prayer, the white-bearded monk usually heads to a nearby cave to make candles. Sometimes he occupies himself with farming.
The monk, who has devoted his life to worship and to serving visitors, said he hoped people would fill the monastery once more "to share our way of life".
"This is a space to breathe, away from the noise and agitation," he said.
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
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Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L / 100km
Sri Lanka World Cup squad
Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal.
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“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
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7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle
The specs
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Specs
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RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
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On sale: Now
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Racecard
%3Cp%3E5pm%3A%20Al%20Bateen%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%3Cbr%3E5.30pm%3A%20Al%20Khaleej%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E6pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E6.30pm%3A%20Al%20Nahyan%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E7pm%3A%20Al%20Karamah%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%3A%20Al%20Salam%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Jumanji: The Next Level
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Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas
Two out of five stars
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Director: Eli Roth
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RESULTS
Cagliari 5-2 Fiorentina
Udinese 0-0 SPAL
Sampdoria 0-0 Atalanta
Lazio 4-2 Lecce
Parma 2-0 Roma
Juventus 1-0 AC Milan
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
The specs: 2019 Cadillac XT4
Price, base: Dh145,000
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged in-line four-cylinder engine
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 237hp @ 5,000rpm
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Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Tuesday results:
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Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
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The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
