Church of the East monastery on Sir Bani Yas
The Church of the East monastery on Sir Bani Yas in the United Arab Emirates is an archaeological site that was discovered in 1992. It shows that pre-Islamic Arabian Christians lived in the UAE. The community was Nestorian and lasted about a century after Islam arrived.
The site was found by the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey (ADIAS), which works to identify and protect important historic places in Abu Dhabi. Peter Hellyer, ADIAS’s head, led the excavations from 2009 to 2012.
In 1992, remnants of an ancient buried building on the island’s eastern side were found. Further digging revealed a 7th‑century Church of the East monastery that operated for about 150 years. The site includes a church, a monastery, and courtyard houses with dormitories, a kitchen, cells, and burial sites. They date to the 7th and 8th centuries CE. The monastery likely housed 30–40 monks. The complex grew around the only burial found on the site. Finds show contact with Bahrain, India, and Iraq.
The Sir Bani Yas site is part of a wider network of early Christian sites around the Persian Gulf, including Akkaz and Al Qusur on Failaka Island in Kuwait, Kharg on the Iranian coast, and Jubail in Saudi Arabia. In 1995, a plaster cross was found, confirming its Christian identity. The team found stucco decorations with Nestorian crosses and vine-and-scroll motifs. This is the oldest Christian site in the UAE, with another nearby on Siniyah Island.
In 2018, the Department of Culture and Tourism began protecting the site with a new visitor platform. The design is flexible and reversible, protecting the remains from rain, heat, sand, wind, and nesting birds. It includes an elevated path, drainage, and explanation points to help visitors understand the site. The shading uses a PTFE roof that lets light in and can be expanded for future discoveries. The platform also has artificial lighting for evening tours. Other improvements include a new access road and a fence to keep out wildlife and sand.
24°19′25.0″N 52°38′12.8″E
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 02:40 (CET).