(Mariam Cathedral)… the oldest churches in Damascus

Damascus-Sana

The Mariamite Cathedral is the oldest archaeological church in Damascus and dates back to the beginning of the spread of Christianity in the region. The Church is the seat of the Patriarchate of Antioch and the rest of the East for the Greek Orthodox.

The cathedral lies to the left of the straight road to Bab Sharqi and has been vandalized, rebuilt and restored more than once, most recently in 1949 to remain one of the most famous churches in the world, a place of worship and a destination for visitors, according to Dr. Joseph Zeitoun, Head of the Archives Department of the Marian Church.

The church is built in the Byzantine style and has a hall on its sides with two stone podiums, each of which has a twisted staircase used to read the gospel and on the sides where the choir stands, which leads the hymns behind the priest, Zaytoun told SANA Tourism and Society.

He added: At the front of the cathedral there is a red podium on which priests stand for prayers and behind it is the altar and the rooms devoted to religious rituals and adjacent to the right and left seats reserved for guests.

According to Zeitoun, the roof of the sage is made of wood and contains inscriptions and ornaments. The walls include church paintings and icons, including the iconic Almskobip and the cathedral front yard and another side where the bell tower of the church.

Zeitoun pointed out that the cathedral, which covers an area of ​​1,000 square meters, is divided into 5 churches. The patriarchs and monks, in addition to the courtyard of the Church of Saints Kyprianus and Justina and the Church of St. Nicholas, were joined to the Marian Church. And a library.

Bushra Mualla

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