Patrimony – In Mar Behnam sanctuary, which ISIS blew up the mausoleum in 2015. The restoration works were lead by Fraternity in Iraq and in the coming weeks they will be completed. Here are the details of the progress since the celebration of the martyr on December 10th. 

The restoration work of the mausoleum which started in June 2017 stopped mid-July after that the major work was over. The site was left at the beginning of the summer because temperatures were reaching 50°C. Due to the high temperatures, the remaining work needed to be postponed to October.

Under the watchful eye of Mr. Abdul Salam, a retired archaeologist, the Iraqi workers’ team went back to work, with the architects Mrs. Laure de Beaurepaire and Mr. Guillaume de Beaurepaire.

Inside the building, the Mosul marble floors, faresh, were set. The inside walls were painted by a lime milk coating, restoring the Mausoleum to its former glory. This help to bring out the sculpted plates and the testimonies of centuries of devotion and piety. On the 6th December, chandeliers, made by a local blacksmith were finally placed. This blacksmith was able to restart his work thanks to Fraternity in Iraq. 

Outside of the Mausoleum, the Bashiqa limestone pavement was set, as well as the facing stones of the low wall. They installed the windows and the cross at the top of the Mausoleum. Thus, there is nothing left but to apply a last layer of paint and everything shall be ready. In spring, once the rains will stop, the outside walls will be coated with the final layer of white paint in order to make them completely water-resistant. 

In the meantime, there is nothing much left to do, apart from thoroughly cleaning the marbles in order to make them shine in time for Mar Behnam’s ceremony; the very day the relics come back in their tomb. For more information and to relive this special day, please check out this website and follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter & Instagram). 

Thank you very much for your generous support. With your help we have been able to successfully complete the restoration of the monastary.