Archaeologists discover 1,400 year old Christian cross on Abu Dhabi island
Mysterious cross unearthed on island rewrites what we know about Christianity
- Archaeologists have unearthed a 1,400-year-old Christian cross on a plaque at an ancient monastery on the Emirati island of Sir Bani Yas.
- The cross, measuring 27cm long, features regional motifs including a stepped pyramid representing Golgotha and leaves, and is larger than a previously found cross.
- It was likely used by monks for spiritual contemplation and shows similarities with finds from the Church of the East, which stretched across the Middle East to China.
- The discovery is considered an "extremely exciting find" and a rare marker of the Christian presence that flourished in the Arabian Peninsula before the monastery's abandonment in the eighth century.
- The find highlights the UAE's historical values of coexistence and cultural openness, with the site now part of a nature reserve and undergoing restoration.