Saint Elijah Cathedral (), is an

Eastern Catholic The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous ('' sui iuris'') particular churches of ...

church in

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

, Syria, located in the Christian quarter of

al-Jdayde Al-Jdayde ( "The New Town", also transcribed as ''al-Jdeideh'', ''al-Judayda'', ''al-Jdeïdé,'' ''al-Jadida'' or ''al-Jdeydeh'') is a historic predominantly Christian neighbourhood of Aleppo. Noted for its winding narrow alleys, richly decorat ...

. It is named after the Biblical prophet

Elijah Elijah ( ) or Elias was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah defended the worsh ...

. The church was built in 1873, replacing an older

Maronite Church The Maronite Church (; ) is an Eastern Catholic '' sui iuris'' particular church in full communion with the pope and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. The head of the Maronit ...

. It was renovated in 1914.

History

Prior to the current building of the cathedral, a small church from the 15th century has occupied the same area. The old church was mentioned by the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

explorer Pietro Della Valle who visited Aleppo in 1625 and described it as one of the four churches that were built adjacent to each other in one yard with one gate, in the newly created Jdeydeh, the Christian quarter. The other three churches are the Forty Martyrs Armenian Church, the Holy Mother of God Armenian Church (the current ''Zarehian Treasury'') and the Greek Orthodox Church of the Dormition of Our Lady. The new building of the cathedral was completed in 1873. It has two magnificent belfries at its façade, while the marble entrance with yellow columns is situated under the high dome on the eastern side. In 1914, during the period of Archbishop Michael Akhras, the dome was entirely renovated. For that purpose, concrete was used during the reconstruction process for the first time ever in the construction history of Aleppo, with the assistance of experts from

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. During the same period, the chiming clock that plays

Ave Maria The Hail Mary or Ave Maria (from its first words in Latin), also known as the Angelic or Angelical Salutation, is a traditional Catholic prayer addressing Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical pa ...

every fifteen minutes, has been placed on the tower. In front of the main gate, the statue of Archbishop and poet Germanos Farhat (1670–1732) was erected in 1932 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his death, and for his efforts in founding the Maronite library of Aleppo, the home of old valuable manuscripts. Since then, the surrounding area of the cathedral was called

Farhat square Farhat Square (Sahat Farhat) is one of the oldest city square, squares in the Syrian city of Aleppo. It is located in the old Al-Jdayde, Jdeydeh District, outside the historic walls of the Ancient City of Aleppo. Farhat Square is a symbolic area ...

St Elias Cathedral Al Jdayde Aleppo 2016

Saint Elijah Cathedral was heavily damaged during the Syrian civil war with its roof collapsing in 2013 after numerous explosions. The cathedral reopened officially and was re-constructed in July 2020 after a multi year program of restoration and renovation.

References

External links

Arch Net
{{Maronite Church Churches completed in 1873 19th-century Maronite Church church buildings

Maronite cathedrals Eastern Catholic cathedrals in Syria Jdeydeh quarter

History

See also

References

External links