Did you know Sir Baniyas Island was home to a Church and Monastery in ancient times?
Buried for centuries, a church and monastery discovered in the early 1990s on Sir Bani Yas Island illuminate the evidence of early Christianity in the region. Open to the public, this is the UAE’s only known ancient Christian site.
A church, a monastery and a series of courtyard houses, dating to the 7th and 8th centuries CE, were discovered at the site. The church was identified by the presence of plaster crosses and its plan, which resembles ancient churches known from elsewhere in the Arabian Gulf.
Hundreds of artefacts found at the site reveal that the people there used the sea for food and also kept cattle, sheep and goats. Glass and ceramic objects indicate that the inhabitants of the settlement traded widely across the Arabian Gulf and into the Indian Ocean.
Now, almost two decades since its discovery, and more than a thousand years since it was built, the public can visit the site and experience another piece of the rich tapestry that makes up the UAE’s fascinating history.
What to do at Sir Baniyas Island
Apart form this spectacular historic site Sir Baniyas Island is home to the fabulous Sir Baniyas Island Resort by Anantara which is the am amazing stay experience.
The island was the private hunting reserve of the late Sheikh Zayed of Abu Dhabi and now is a conservation area which is filled with wildlife. You will see Zebras, Giraffe, Leopards and much more.
There are excellent bird watching opportunities and snorkeling along with other watersports activities are available.
How to get there.
Sir Baniyas Island is a three hour drive form Abu Dhabi and you will have to have reservations at the resort to be able to take a ferry over.
Text and Image Credit – www.visitabudhabi.ae
