Having held on to the city of Manbij for more than two years, ISIS terrorists committed some of the most unspeakable atrocities on the local community there. Specifically targeting Christians, as well as Christian holy sites, often killing innocent women and children in their bloody wake. There was no end to the unthinkable horrors these ISIS fighters bought down on a whole city; most of which too horrific to even repeat.
Manbij Liberated
Following more than two years of being held hostage by ISIS, US-backed alliance forces consisting of Arab and Kurdish fighters, had beaten back ISIS in the ancient city, to the point where they were defeated. Spontaneous celebrations erupted in the city, with civilians pouring on to the streets with rebel fighters claiming they had “liberated” the city. Men were seen clipping their beards, while women lifted their veils in a show of defiance and liberation from the brutal occupation…
Under Full Control
Everyone across the board was thrilled to see the backs of ISIS after Manbij was liberated, although a lot of damage was already done, some of it irreversible. Nasser Haj Mansour, an adviser to the SDF, confirmed that the city was “under full control,” adding that, “We are all happy. We cleared the city from Daesh and now people are returning to their homes.”
Christian Persecution
Massive Christian communities have lived side-by-side with their Muslim neighbors for centuries in the city, in almost complete peace and harmony. Only with the advent of ISIS and it’s brand of radical Salafist Islam were racial tensions stirred, as Christians suffered unprecedented persecution just for being Christian. That persecution also included great efforts to eradicate their past, and any connection whatsoever to the land of Syria…
Ancient Sites
Manbij is full of ancient Christian sites, mainly holy churches and the like. It is a treasure trove of archaeological heaven for researchers, with so many untapped relics and artefacts from centuries ago when the Romans ruled over the land. But even in those days Christians were persecuted, showing that sadly. history often repeats itself.
Secret Church
The persecution of Christians back in the third and fourth century A.D. at the hands of the Romans was brutal, and even then artefacts were destroyed. Take the ‘Secret Church’ for example, where people of faith centuries ago had to practice and worship in private. “They indicate that there was a significant Christian population in the area which felt they needed to hide their activities,” said John Wineland, professor of history and archaeology at Southeastern University. “This is probably an indication of the persecution by the Roman government, which was common in the period.”
Enter ISIS
All these centuries later but the methods haven’t changed much. Soon after ISIS took control of Manbij, they proceeded to attempt to eradicate every remnant of Christian life there. An ancient Christian refuge was used to dump refuge in the city, although the ISIS thugs didn’t spot the tip of an old gate near to where they threw their garbage.
The Refuge
The corner of that undiscovered gate was part of a bigger picture; a much bigger picture. The gate runs a few feet into the ground, all the way down into an ancient Christian refuge, dating back to the very first centuries of Christendom. Abdulwahab Sheko, head of the Exploration Committee at the Ruins Council in Manbij, spoke to reporters, “I was so excited, I can’t describe it. I was holding everything in my hands,” he said…
A Special Place
“This place is so special.” said Sheko, adding, “Here is where I think the security guard would stand at the gate watching for any movement outside. He could warn the others to exit through the other passage if they needed to flee.” The ancient site is fashioned out of narrow tunnels with special grooved shelves for optimal lighting. There are myriads of tunnels and escape routes, built at the time just in case the worshippers were discovered.
Help Needed
The excavation project is massive and very delicate. As always with these things, a serious injection of funds was needed so that Sheko and his team could start uncovering mysteries from the past. A plea went out to international archeologists and organizations who are now in the process of cleaning and identifying artefacts and testing the bones that have been found…
Dangerous Site
Despite its historic merits, this site is riddled with mines and booby traps set up by ISIS just before they lost the city. That makes the archaeologists’ jobs treacherous and dangerous to say the least. They are working slowly through the site, and hope to hold a festival of sorts for locals to attend once the artefacts are cleaned and put on display.
Second Location Found
As well as the ancient refuge, a second hugely historic site was also found after the city was liberated from ISIS. Littered with insects, trash and even a stray dog, 11 old steps lead down to another treasure trove of history. Down the steps is a cave which opens into another labyrinth of tunnels and rooms, clearly once used for religious worship. The rooms are covered with ancient Christian symbols, but till now little is known about the origins of this site…
Ancient Graveyard
As archaeologists delved further into the cave they discovered an ancient indoor graveyard. As Wineland explained, “That is what we would call a secondary use of the tomb, and it might well have been a Christian place of meeting or worship,” he said, adding that the gravesite found would have been reserved only for church clergy, with a tomb bearing an elevated stone cushion to denote religious stature.
Building Complications
Since the third century it stands to reason that most ancient sites have been covered by buildings over the centuries. Mainly residential buildings stand now as the main obstacle to further exploration by archaeologists in the history-rich area. For the time being the various sites found are guarded by a single man with an AK-47, but that security detail will need to grow as more ancient relics are found…
Greek Found
There are ancient references just about everywhere you look in Manbij. Take for example a Roman-era effigy carved into a limestone building block in a residential area. Nearby there’s even a Greek inscription on an architectural block. “Greek was the common language of the Eastern Roman Empire, which explains why the New Testament is written in Greek during the Roman period,” Wineland explained.
Destroying History
Whenever ISIS soldiers came across ancient sites or artefacts they would spend time meticulously destroying them. Hassan Darwish, the council’s field monitor, explained that they have managed to salvage numerous pieces that were sold off by ISIS in markets, as well as finding age-old mosaics whose faces had been destroyed by the occupiers…
Most Prized City
From an historic perspective Manbij is probably the most prized city in Syria. Located in the northeastern Aleppo Governorate near the Turkish border, and just 18 miles west of the Euphrates, many feel they have only scratched the surface when it comes to uncovering ancient treasures from Manbij.
Spread of Islam
Christianity outdates any Muslim influences in Syria by many hundreds of years. By the 7th century however, Islam began their conquest of the middle east, soon taking over control of almost all parts of ancient Syria. As a result, Syria became majority Muslim over the centuries; a fact that hasn’t boded well of late with local Christians there as mentioned…
Reminded Of Suffering
Wineland spoke about how the gruesome discoveries in Manbij of broken artefacts is reminiscent of the persecution and suffering of Christians across the middle east. “This has led to a significant decline of Christians in the region. Some have been killed, others have fled, and still others have been coerced into converting to Islam,” he said.
Good People
Sheko is personally embarrassed about what his fellow Muslims have done in the name of God. He made it clear that not all Muslims are the same and that he will dedicate his life to unearthing and protecting whatever ruins he and his team might find, “We are Muslim, but we are not like ISIS Muslims,” he said. “We take care of these Christian ruins. We respect them. We respect humanity.” He said.
Ancient Christian Remnants Uncovered Following ISIS Defeat is an article from: LifeDaily