The Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus, also known as the Maryamiyya Church ( ar, الكَنِيسَة المَرْيَمِيَّة, al-Kanīsah al-Maryamīyah), is one of the oldest

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...

churches in

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

and holds the seat of the

Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch ( el, Ελληνορθόδοξο Πατριαρχείο Αντιοχείας), also known as the Antiochian Orthodox Church and legally as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East ( ar ...

. The church complex is located on the

Street Called Straight Straight Street, from the Latin Via Recta ( ar, الشارع المستقيم ''al-Shāriʿ al-Mustaqīm''), known as the Street called Straight ( gr, τήν ῥύμην τήν καλουμένην εὐθείαν) in the New Testament, is the ol ...

.Daniel Demeter:
Damaskus – al-Mariyamiyeh Church.
' Syria Photo Guide, 16 July 2014.

History

A first church was built during the 4th century AD or probably earlier. After the Muslim conquest of Damascus the church was closed until 706 AD when al-Walid ordered that it be returned to the Christians as a compensation for the Church of John the Baptist which was turned into the

Umayyad Mosque The Umayyad Mosque ( ar, الجامع الأموي, al-Jāmiʿ al-Umawī), also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus ( ar, الجامع الدمشق, al-Jāmiʿ al-Damishq), located in the old city of Damascus, the capital of Syria, is one of the ...

. The church was destroyed and rebuilt several times in later years. It was described by

Ibn Jubayr Ibn Jubayr (1 September 1145 – 29 November 1217; ar, ابن جبير), also written Ibn Jubair, Ibn Jobair, and Ibn Djubayr, was an Arab geographer, traveller and poet from al-Andalus. His travel chronicle describes the pilgrimage he made to ...

as: In 1342, the Patriarchal See of Antioch was transferred from

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ� ...

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

and the church served as the seat of the Greek Orthodox Church in the East. The church was burned down by mobs, along with most of the Christian quarter, when the 1860 Druze-Christian conflict in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...

spilt over into Damascus, and was rebuilt three years later. It was last renovated in 1953.

Sections

Church of Mary

The Church of Mary is the main church building, and dates back to the late 4th century.الكنيسة المريمية - تاريخ الكنيسة ‎ (Mariamite Church – Church History)

Chapel of Saint Tekla

The chapel was added to the complex after the restoration of the cathedral in 1840. It comprises the patriarchal seat of the

Chapel of Catherine

The chapel was added after restoration works. It contains a small museum dedicated to the history of the church.

Gallery

File:Damascus Greek Orthodox Patriarchate 1573.jpg, Mariamite Cathedral, Damascus, with the 'Umariyya Minaret at the front, to the right File:Damasco cattedrale ortodossaHPIM3223.JPG, Façade of the cathedral in 2010 File:Damascus Mariamite Cathedral the belfry.jpg, Belfry of the cathedral File:Mariamie-8-12-21032013-12-17-095100.jpg, Divine Liturgy led by patriarch John the tenth at the Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus

External Links

Get a 360° virtual tour on the Ministry of tourism's website: https://syriatourism.org/Virtual_Tours/Maryameyya%20Church/

References

2nd-century churches Mariamite Cathedral Christian organizations established in the 2nd century Eastern Orthodox church buildings in Syria 2nd-century establishments in the Roman Empire 7th-century disestablishments in the Byzantine Empire 1860 disestablishments in Ottoman Syria 1863 establishments in Ottoman Syria {{orthodox-church-stub