 This was a year before the church (along with a large number of monasteries in the region) was sacked and burned down in 1531 by the infamously destructive Jihad led by Ahmad bin Ibrahim (aka Ahmed Gragn).Francisco Alvarez, who had earlier visited the church, confirms that its size was some 150 feet by 150 feet—wholly covered in gold leaf, inlaid with gems, pearls and corals

Astounded by the wealth and workmanship, the Yemeni chronicler of Ahmed Gragn notes