Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus

Seat of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch

The Mariamitische Cathedral of Damascus (Arabic الكنيسة المريمية ) is one of the oldest Greek Orthodox churches in the Syrian capital, Damascus, and is also the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. The church building complex is located on the Via Recta ( Straight Street ).

History

The church was built in the 2nd century AD. After the Muslim conquest of Damascus, the church was forced to close. This remained until the year 706, when Caliph al- Walid I ordered the church to return to the Christians - as compensation for the St. John the Baptist Church, which was converted into the Omayyad Mosque.

The Church of Damascus was destroyed in the following years several times by Muslims and rebuilt afterwards. It was described by the traveler Ibn Jubayr from Egypt as follows:

"Within the town is a church that is very important for the Romans. She is known as the Church of Mary. Its importance comes after the Church of Jerusalem. It is a beautiful building, which includes amazing pictures which appeal to the mind and the eye. It lies in the hands of the Romans and no one contradicts them here. "

In 1342 the Patriarchal seat of Antioch from its original Antioch to Damascus was transferred, and the church has since served as the seat of the Greek Orthodox Church for the entire East.

The cathedral was once burned down along with the majority of the Christian Quarter of the City of Muslim and Druze crowds, as the anti-Christian massacres over prangenen 1860 from Lebanon to Damascus. Three years later it was rebuilt. It was last renovated in 1953.

Building

St. Mary's Church

The great Church of Mary is the main building of the Mariamitischen Cathedral, and goes back to the 4th century AD.

Chapel of St. Tekla

The old chapel of Saint Tekla was added to the church building complex after extensive restoration of the cathedral in 1840. Dprt is the seat of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch.

Katherinenkapelle

The prestigious Chapel of Catherine was also added after restoration work. It contains a historical and religious museum, dedicated to the long, reaching back to the 2nd century history of the universal Church.