This Christian Cross Found in Abu Dhabi Illuminates the Lives of Monks Who Lived 1,400 Years Ago

Researchers discovered the intricately decorated artifact at an archaeological site near a seventh-century C.E. monastery on the island of Sir Bani Yas

Sonja Anderson | Daily Correspondent

August 29, 2025

Researchers have discovered a Christian cross molded from stucco on a small island in the United Arab Emirates. The 1,400-year-old artifact has helped archaeologists confirm that the surrounding houses were part of a nearby monastery.

The cross was unearthed on the island of Sir Bani Yas, located about 100 miles west of Abu Dhabi. According to a statement from the Abu Dhabi Media Office, the island was first excavated in the 1990s. During that dig, archaeologists discovered a Christian church and monastery dating to the seventh and eighth centuries C.E. They also found nine small houses complete with courtyards.

“We never had concrete proof that [the houses] were actually inhabited by Christians,” says Maria Gajewska, an archaeologist with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, in a video. “We have now proved that these houses were indeed part of a Christian settlement.”

Quick fact: How long was the monastery on Sir Bani Yas in use?

Archaeologists think that both Christians and Muslims lived peacefully on the island until the eighth century, when the monastery was abandoned.

This year, for the first time in about three decades, archaeologists conducted a comprehensive excavation on Sir Bani Yas. While digging in the courtyard of one of the houses, Hager Al Menhali, another department archaeologist, came across a flat piece of plaster.

“The plaster was resting face down, and something about it caught my attention,” Al Menhali tells the National’s John Dennehy. “There was a distinct fingerprint on the back,” indicating that someone had molded it. “But when the team carefully turned it over, we were stunned,” she adds. “There it was … a beautifully preserved cross [on] stucco plaster.”

The rectangular piece of stucco is about one foot long, seven inches wide and one inch thick. The molded plaster forms an ornate cross, flanked by leaves and surrounded by a frame-like border.

island — Sir Bani Yas is home to the Arabian Wildlife Park. Ismail.alghussein via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 3.0

The plaster cross features motifs that are common among artifacts from the Middle East. “The stepped pyramid at the bottom, representing the Golgotha; the leaves sprouting from the base; the shape of the cross arms; the dots at the ends and the setting within a niche all find regional parallels in the Gulf and Mesopotamia,” Gajewska tells the National.

In fact, three other plaster crosses were unearthed in Bahrain last year. Researchers from the University of Exeter discovered the artifacts at what they think was the site of a fourth-century C.E. palace belonging to a bishop, according to an announcement from the university.

On Sir Bani Yas, the residential complex where the cross was found features about nine houses located north and northwest of the main church, according to Gajewska. Inside the buildings, researchers found blackened earth indicating the use of lamps.

“We currently believe that this is where more senior monks lived and did periods of seclusion,” Gajewska says in the video. They might have “practiced prayer and mental and spiritual discipline before reconvening with their brothers at the monastery.”

Another theory is that the houses functioned as spiritual retreat cabins for wealthy Christians who wanted to escape their world to pray, Gajewska explains to the National. She says the buildings are unusually well-made, complete with thick stone walls and water cisterns, suggesting that their inhabitants lived comfortably.

“The ongoing discoveries from Sir Bani Yas Island, even after 30 years of research and excavation, underscore the magnitude of our cultural legacy and the importance of our continued commitment to its preservation and understanding,” Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the tourism department, says in the statement, per a translation from the Times of India.

Today, Sir Bani Yas’ tourism is mainly driven by the Arabian Wildlife Park, which is home to more than 17,000 roaming giraffes, Arabian oryx, cheetahs and other animals. The monastery lies within the nature reserve, and it’s open to visitors.

Other finds from this year’s dig include pottery and glass artifacts, such as a small green bottle that might have contained oil. The artifacts will be carbon dated and studied, and researchers want to continue excavations in the future.

For now, the plaster cross is an “extremely exciting find” that reveals new information about who lived in the houses, Gajewska tells the National. “We were just digging in the right place.”

You Might Also Like

Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.