Established 6th century Public access Yes Diocese Syriac Catholic Church | Location Nabk, Syria Address Syria Dedicated to Moses the Black | |
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Other names Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi | ||
Mar Musa or Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi (Syriac: ܕܝܪܐ ܪܡܪܝ ܡܘܫܐ ܟܘܫܝܐ deiro d-mor mūše kūšoyo; Arabic: دير مار موسى الحبشي / ALA-LC: dayr mār Mūsá al-Ḥabashī, literally "the monastery of saint Moses the Abyssinian") is a monastic community of the Syriac Catholic Church, situated near the town of Nabk, approximately 80 km (50 mi) north of Damascus, on the Eastern slopes of the Anti-Lebanon. The main church of the monastic compound hosts precious frescoes dating to the 11th and 12th century.
Archaeology
An ancient building, stone circles, lines and tombs were recently discovered near the monastery in 2009 by archaeologist Robert Mason of the Royal Ontario Museum. Mason suggested that the ruins may date back 10,000 years and were likely constructed in Neolithic period (such as the Heavy Neolithic Qaraoun culture of the Anti-Lebanon). Further excavation and research, into this discovery, has been halted due to the threat of violence caused by the Syrian civil war.