An ancient Christian site has been discovered on an island off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, officials announced recently. The religious complex, a monastery, could date to a time before the spread of Islam across the Arabian Peninsula. The monastery is providing researchers a lot of information about early Christianity in the Persian Gulf area. It is the second such monastery found in the Emirates, dating back as many as 1,400 years. The two monasteries became lost to history in the sands of time. As Islam spread in the area, experts believe Christians slowly became Muslim. Today, Christians remain a minority across the wider Middle East. Timothy Power of the United Arab Emirates University described the UAE today as a “melting pot of nations.” Power helped investigate the newly discovered monastery. He added, “The fact that something similar was happening here ... 1,000 years ago is really remarkable and this is a story that deserves to be told." The monastery sits on Siniyah Island in Umm al-Quwain, an emirate some 50 kilometers northeast of Dubai. The island has a series of sandy areas coming off of it like fingers. On one, to the island’s northeast, researchers discovered the monastery. Samples found in the monastery’s foundation date between 534 and 656. Islam’s Prophet Muhammad was born around 570 and died in 632. Seen from above, the monastery's floor plan suggests early Christian worshippers prayed within a small church. Rooms within the monastery appear to hold a baptismal area, as well as an oven for baking bread or wafers for communion rites. Another area also likely held an altar and an installation for communion wine. Next to the monastery sits a second building with four rooms, likely around an open area known as a courtyard. This was possibly the home of an early church leader such as an abbot or even a bishop.
Title: Christian Monastery Possibly Older than Islam found in UAE
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/A10.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Christian Monastery Possibly Older than Islam found in UAE' data-article-id='6278'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='12208'>An ancient Christian site has been discovered on an island off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, officials announced recently. </span> <span data-start-time='12208' data-end-time='22479'>The religious complex, a monastery, could date to a time before the spread of Islam across the Arabian Peninsula.</span> <span data-start-time='22479' data-end-time='32125'>The monastery is providing researchers a lot of information about early Christianity in the Persian Gulf area. </span> <span data-start-time='32125' data-end-time='41542'>It is the second such monastery found in the Emirates, dating back as many as 1,400 years.</span> <span data-start-time='41542' data-end-time='47729'>The two monasteries became lost to history in the sands of time.</span> <span data-start-time='47729' data-end-time='54896'>As Islam spread in the area, experts believe Christians slowly became Muslim. </span> <span data-start-time='54896' data-end-time='60979'>Today, Christians remain a minority across the wider Middle East.</span> <span data-start-time='60979' data-end-time='71146'>Timothy Power of the United Arab Emirates University described the UAE today as a “melting pot of nations.”</span> <span data-start-time='71146' data-end-time='75771'>Power helped investigate the newly discovered monastery.</span> <span data-start-time='75771' data-end-time='87292'>He added, “The fact that something similar was happening here ... 1,000 years ago is really remarkable and this is a story that deserves to be told."</span> <span data-start-time='87292' data-end-time='97583'>The monastery sits on Siniyah Island in Umm al-Quwain, an emirate some 50 kilometers northeast of Dubai. </span> <span data-start-time='97583' data-end-time='103938'>The island has a series of sandy areas coming off of it like fingers. </span> <span data-start-time='103938' data-end-time='110333'>On one, to the island’s northeast, researchers discovered the monastery.</span> <span data-start-time='110333' data-end-time='118688'>Samples found in the monastery’s foundation date between 534 and 656. </span> <span data-start-time='118688' data-end-time='126375'>Islam’s Prophet Muhammad was born around 570 and died in 632.</span> <span data-start-time='126375' data-end-time='135625'>Seen from above, the monastery's floor plan suggests early Christian worshippers prayed within a small church. </span> <span data-start-time='135625' data-end-time='146458'>Rooms within the monastery appear to hold a baptismal area, as well as an oven for baking bread or wafers for communion rites. </span> <span data-start-time='146458' data-end-time='154208'>Another area also likely held an altar and an installation for communion wine.</span> <span data-start-time='154208' data-end-time='163896'>Next to the monastery sits a second building with four rooms, likely around an open area known as a courtyard. </span> <span data-start-time='163896' data-end-time='171042'>This was possibly the home of an early church leader such as an abbot or even a bishop.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/A10.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=19004 data-hint-location='54896' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/today_christians_remain_a_minority_across_the_wider__blank__east.wav'>Today, Christians remain a minority across the wider <span class='blank'>Middle</span> East.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Middle'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/middle.wav'><span>Middle</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/fiddle.wav'><span>Fiddle</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/little.wav'><span>Little</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/riddle.wav'><span>Riddle</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=19005 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/where_is_the_newly_discovered_monastery_located.wav'>Where is the newly discovered monastery located?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='an island'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/an_island.wav'><span>an island</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/a_mountain.wav'><span>a mountain</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/underwater.wav'><span>underwater</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/a_jungle.wav'><span>a jungle</span></div></div></div><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=19006 data-hint-location='75771' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/which_of_the_following_is_a_definition_of_the_word_remarkable.wav'>Which of the following is a definition of the word remarkable?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='unusual or surprising'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/unusual_or_surprising.wav'><span>unusual or surprising</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/regarded_by_society_to_be_good_proper_or_correct.wav'><span>regarded by society to be good, proper, or correct</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/dismissed_as_inadequate.wav'><span>dismissed as inadequate</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5707/repeated_for_clarity.wav'><span>repeated for clarity</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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