Sir Bani Yas · A Monastery Dug Out of the Desert

Sir Bani Yas was first a place of exile for prisoners, then became a wildlife reserve; gazelle, cheetah and giraffe move across it, and visitors come for the animals.

In the nineties, a seventh-century Christian monastery and church were dug out on the island, evidence that people lived here in prayer before the coming of Islam.

Today the monastery foundations stand beside the fences. The archaeologists say the island’s animals sometimes gather there at night.

Historical Mysteries / Abu Dhabi · United Arab Emirates / 7th century