Saint Mary of the Holy Belt (Um Al Zennar) Cathedral (, shortened to ; ') is a historical Syriac Orthodox

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

in Homs, Syria. It is the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Homs and Hama. The present structure dates from the mid-nineteenth century, but the site over which the church is built is claimed to have been one of Christian worship since 59 AD. According to Ross Burns, the church may rest on Byzantine foundations. According to Joseph Nasrallah, the existence of a church dedicated to Mary in Homs is attested as early as 478. The church contains a venerated Holy Girdle that is supposed to be a section of the belt of

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

. The church was damaged during confrontations between the armed opposition and the security forces in the 2011–2012 Syrian unrest. In 2012, reportedly confrontations caused extensive damage to the exterior of the church. The church was rebuilt by an extensive effort of the faithful and the Divine Liturgy was celebrated.

Other relics

This is the Syriac church's equivalent of the

Cincture of the Theotokos The Cincture of the Theotokos is believed to be a relic of the Theotokos (Blessed Virgin Mary), now in the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos, which is venerated by the Holy Eastern Orthodox Church. The word "cincture" (Greek: ''zone'') is sometim ...

of the

Greek Orthodox Church 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 ...

and

Girdle of Thomas The Girdle of Thomas, Virgin's Girdle, Holy Belt, or Sacra Cintola in modern Italian, is a Christian relic in the form of a "girdle" or knotted textile cord used as a belt, that according to a medieval legend was dropped by the Virgin Mary from ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

References

External links

* 59 1st-century churches Syriac Orthodox churches Oriental Orthodoxy in Syria Churches in Syria Saint Mary {{Syriac-Orthodox-church-stub

Other relics

See also

References

External links