Church of Saint Ahudemmeh, Tikrit
| Church of Saint Ahudemmeh | |
|---|---|
 Green Church in Tikrit | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Syriac Orthodox |
| Location | |
| Location | Tikrit, Iraq |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Church |
| Completed | 700 AD |
The Church of Saint Ahudemmeh, also known as the Green Church, was a Syriac Orthodox church in Tikrit, Iraq. The church was destroyed by Islamic State militants on 25 September 2014.[1]
History
The church was constructed by Denha II, Maphrian of the East, in 700 AD, and was dedicated to Saint Ahudemmeh.[2] Denha II and his successors John II, Daniel, Thomas I, and Baselios III, were buried in the church.[2] Dinkha of Tikrit debated theology and philosophy with Al-Masudi at the church in 925.[3]
In 1089, the church was looted and destroyed by the governor of Tikrit,[4] but was restored in 1112.[5] Christians took refuge in the church during the Mongol invasion of Iraq in 1258, where they were slaughtered and few escaped.[2]
The church was excavated by the Iraqi Archaeological Service in the 1990s,[5] and several coffins were discovered, including that of Anaseous, Bishop of Tikrit.[2] In 2000, Saddam Hussein had the church restored due to its dilapidated condition.[6] On 25 September 2014, the church was destroyed by Islamic State militants with improvised explosive devices.[1]
References
- ^ a b Mamoun, Abdelhak (25 September 2014). "URGENT: ISIS destroys 7th Century Church in Tikrit, Iraq". Iraqi News. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Islamists Destroy 7th Century Church, Mosque in Tikrit, Iraq". AINA News. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
- ^ Rassam (2005), p. 85
- ^ Rassam (2005), p. 68
- ^ a b Hunter, Erica C. D. (June–July 2015). "Obliterating Iraq's Christian heritage" (PDF). The Middle East in London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
- ^ Considine, Craig (13 October 2015). "Why Celebrating Columbus Day Is Like Celebrating ISIS". Huffington Post. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
Bibliography
- Rassam, Suha (2005). Christianity in Iraq: Its Origins and Development to the Present Day. Gracewing Publishing. ISBN 9780852446331.