10:18PM BST, 15 Apr 2014
It has stood for centuries above the ancient settlement at Maaloula, one of a handful of villages in the mountains northeast of Damascus where Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ, is still spoken.
But on Tuesday, as Syrian army officers showed off their latest conquest in the long back-and-forth war with the country's rebels, the monastery of St Sergius was a sorry sight.
The same shellfire that had helped to drive the rebels out had breached its massive limestone walls and, inside what had long been seen as a symbol of Syria's religious freedom, broken icons lay on the ground alongside crosses, catechisms, and images of the Virgin Mary - though it was not possible to ascertain the cause.
The recapture of Maaloula, 40 miles from the Syrian capital, on Monday is being hailed by the country's government as a vital strategic success: army officers said it marked the end of a long campaign to regain dominance over the Qalamun mountain range that runs along the country's border with Lebanon.
The task was evidently not quite complete as a group of journalists was escorted to the site on Tuesday afternoon: the cliffs that surround the city echoed to the sound of machine-gun fire and explosions, and from outside the monastery smoke was visible, rising from the houses below.
But on Tuesday, as Syrian army officers showed off their latest conquest in the long back-and-forth war with the country's rebels, the monastery of St Sergius was a sorry sight.
The same shellfire that had helped to drive the rebels out had breached its massive limestone walls and, inside what had long been seen as a symbol of Syria's religious freedom, broken icons lay on the ground alongside crosses, catechisms, and images of the Virgin Mary - though it was not possible to ascertain the cause.
The recapture of Maaloula, 40 miles from the Syrian capital, on Monday is being hailed by the country's government as a vital strategic success: army officers said it marked the end of a long campaign to regain dominance over the Qalamun mountain range that runs along the country's border with Lebanon.
The task was evidently not quite complete as a group of journalists was escorted to the site on Tuesday afternoon: the cliffs that surround the city echoed to the sound of machine-gun fire and explosions, and from outside the monastery smoke was visible, rising from the houses below.
Read Peter Oborne's full article here:
Syria war: Maaloula's monastery destroyed after Assad forces drive rebels out - Telegraph
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