Before the arrival of Islam, Syria was predominantly a Christian country. While today a minority religion, Christianity continues to have a presence in the country.
Syria is located in the Levant, the region where Christianity was born. As such, it is home to some of the oldest monasteries in the world. The country has produced seven popes and numerous saints. Three of Jesus’ apostles, including Peter, hailed from Bethsaida, now located in the contested Golan Heights.
Keep reading to find out some of the most important Christian sites in Syria.
Table of Contents
1. St. Ananias Church
Location: Damascus
It can be argued that Christianity would not have the global presence it enjoys today, or have played such an important role in world history, had it not been for the missionary efforts of Saint Paul.
But before he was one of Christianity’s great champions, Saul of Tarsus (as Paul was formally known) was an enthusiastic persecutor of Christians. This changed when, as he was travelling on the road to Damascus (yes, Syria’s capital city is the same one mentioned in the Bible), Saul saw a blinding light that toppled him from his horse, and heard the voice of Jesus asking, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
A blind Saul made his way to Damascus where he was greeted by a Christian resident, Ananias, who instructed him in the faith and baptized him.
The small (now underground) chapel is said to be Ananias’ house, where Paul lived for three years and where he converted to Christianity. Pope John Paul II visited the chapel as part of his pilgrimage to sites associated with Saint Paul.
2. Umayyad Mosque
Location: Damascus
A mosque might not be an obvious Christian site. There are some figures in Christianity, however, who are also revered in Islam, and the Umayyad Mosque is one of those places where the two religions coincide.
Both Muslims and Christians consider the Umayyad Mosque to be the burial place of the head of Saint John the Baptist (known as the Prophet Yahya in Islam). According to the Bible, John, a cousin of Jesus, was beheaded on the orders of Herod Antipas after John criticized him for marrying his former sister-in-law.
Today, the Umayyad Mosque and its shrine are a place of pilgrimage for adherents of both religions; Christians especially come to pray on the feast day of Saint John the Baptist. Parts of the old cathedral are still visible, such as the baptistry and columns that once were part of the church’s nave.
3. St. Paul Chapel
Location: Damascus
Saint Paul eventually ran into some trouble in Damascus. His life in danger, he escaped dramatically by being lowered down from a basket from one of the city gates; he then joined other disciples in Jerusalem.
Damascus was once surrounded by a wall punctured with seven gates. This 20th-century chapel was built on the spot where, according to legend, Saint Paul was lowered in a basket. The chapel itself incorporates stones from Bab Kisan, the old city gate.
4. Mariamite Cathedral
Location: Damascus
Also known as the Maryamiyya Church, this church is one of the oldest in the city; while its founding date is uncertain, it is estimated to have been established in the 3rd or 4th century.
The site of the present church was given to the Christian community by Caliph Walid I, in compensation for converting the Umayyad Mosque, formerly a church, into a mosque. Andalusian Arab traveler Ibn Jubayr mentioned the church in the 12th century. Over the centuries, it has been rebuilt several times; its most recent renovation was in 1953.
The church serves as the seat of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, which has over 4 million adherents worldwide, making it one of the most important Christian sites in Syria.
5. Convent of Our Lady of Saidnaya
Location: Saidnaya
Some 20 miles north of Damascus lies the Convent of Saidnaya. Legend has it that it was founded by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I in 547; what is certain is that it is one of the most ancient monasteries in the world.
Its fortunes fluctuated over the centuries (including suffering damage during the Syrian Civil War), but it has remained a popular and important pilgrimage site throughout the ages; it was mentioned in medieval pilgrimage accounts. The current church dates from the 19th century.
While the convent houses many priceless manuscripts and icons, its most prized treasure is an icon of the Virgin Mary said to have been painted by St. Luke the Evangelist. It is kept behind a silver grill and is known as the Shaghoura, “the Illustrious.”
6. Saint Mary Church of the Holy Belt
Location: Homs
Christianity is full of rather unusual relics. This church in the city of Homs houses – as you may have guess from the title – a belt said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary.
Early Christians gathered here to pray during Roman persecutions; you can visit the ancient underground space where they worshipped. The present church structure dates from 1852. It was heavily damaged during the Syrian Civil War but has been restored. The famous belt was hidden during the war and is now on display again.
7. Mar Musa
Location: Nabk
The Monastery of St. Moses the Abyssinian, more popularly known as Mar Musa, traces its origins back to the 6th century. Abandoned in the 19th century, it was re-founded in 1992 thanks to the Italian Jesuit priest Paolo Dall’Oglio, who disappeared in 2013 while attempting to negotiate for the release of hostages taken during the Syrian Civil War. He has never been found.
Today the monastery, seemingly perched precariously atop cliffs, continues its mission of hospitality and Muslim-Christian dialogue. Home to both monks and nuns, it is a rare modern example of example of a double monastery.
8. Monasteries of Maaloula
Location: Maaloula
There are two main monasteries in the village of Maaloula, which lies some 50 km northeast of Damascus.
The Greek Catholic monastery of Saint Sergius (Mar Serkis) is one of the oldest monasteries in Syria. It was dedicated to the Roman solider martyrs Sergius and Bacchus. On any given day, you can likely ask one of the workers to recite the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic, the language of Jesus – Maaloula is one of just two or three villages in the world where Aramaic is still spoken.
Across town is the Convent of Saint Thecla, an early Christian saint and follower of Saint Paul who escaped here to avoid an arranged marriage. Thecla’s body is hidden behind a grill. The water from the next-door spring is said to have healing properties.
9. Church of St. Simeon Stylites
Location: Mount Simeon
Saint Simeon is one of Christianity’s more bizarre personalities. During his lifetime he was known for his extreme asceticism. To achieve the hermitical life he craved, he lived atop an 18m (59ft) column. He stayed there, exposed to the weather and never coming down, for some 36 years.
As might be expected, Saint Simeon attracted a lot of attention and, when he died in 459, a Byzantine complex, consisting of four basilicas branching out from a central octagon, was built. The church now lies in ruins, but in its day, it was the largest church in the world until it was surpassed by the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
Simeon’s famous column decreased in size over the centuries as eager pilgrims took pieces as keepsakes. It is now little more than a stump, having been damaged by a Russian airstrike in the Syrian Civil War.
Honorable mention: Dura-Europos House Church
Location: Dura-Europos and New Haven, Connecticut USA
The Dura-Europos House Church was excavated in 1931-1932 in eastern Syria, but its history stretches back much farther. In fact, it is one of the earliest known Christian churches in the world.
The site is believed to have been looted and destroyed by ISIS in the Syrian Civil War. Not all is lost, however. Yale University had been involved in the excavation work in the 1930s and the church’s frescoes – thought to be the world’s oldest known Christian paintings – were removed at the time and are preserved in the Yale University Art Gallery in the United States.
Want to find out about other religious sites in Syria? Check out my article here.
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