the newly constructed and newly painted roof of the Saint Thakla monastery church in Ma’loula
Obviously the population of Syria is predominantly Muslim – sporting Sunnis and Shiites -, but before the civil war that started in 2011 a significant share, perhaps 10% or more, was Christian. Now that percentage is estimated at around 2-2.5% only, and things are not being made easier by the multitude of Christian denominations, with allegiance to both Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. Although most Christians live in the big cities, there is an area just north of Damascus where they dominate in the villages.
typical small town in the Christian area north of Damascus
garlic shop – only garlics! – on the way to Ma’loula
The one that stands out is Ma’loula, a community – the only one, or so they claim – that still speaks Aramaic, the language of Jesus. (I think there are more places where this is being spoken, in North Syria, and also in South East Turkey). There are several monasteries and convents here, until recently in excellent shape, despite dating back to early Christianity. The best known are the Mar Sarkis – the Saint Sergius monastery – with one of the oldest churches in Syria, from the 4th C AD, and some beautiful 16th to 18th C icons, and the Saint Thekla monastery. The latter is reached through a narrow gorge, said to have been opened miraculously to provide an escape from her pursuers for Thekla, the daughter of a Roman consul, who had turned to Christianity against her father’s will. Interestingly, the wider part of the gorge has also been used as a cemetery, probably from Roman times, with tombs hacked out of the rockface, or dug into the solid rock layers.
the narrow gorge that leads to the Saint Thakla monastery
the gorge is well-lit at night, these days
Roman graves and tombs in the wider part of the gorge
graves cut out of the rock, in different sizes
Unfortunately, Syria didn’t only have to cope with its own civil war, but also with Islamic State, ISIS, which conquered a significant area of the country in 2014. And they marched into this Christian enclave, too, destroying everything in their way. Everybody here was, by definition, their enemy. A kind of 21st Century Genghis Khan revival, I imagine. So what we now see in Ma’loula is a town, still partly destroyed, and also partly rebuilt. Priority in reconstruction, thanks to funding availability, has been given to the churches and the monasteries, which had been burned down to the ground. It is incredible how fast, yet tastefully, this has been done, less than 10 years after the defeat of ISIS. But little is left of its former charm, of course, we are looking at new buildings, at icons that have been copied after the original ones. Most poignant, perhaps, is that in between the icons of Saint Thekla some authentic ones have survived, damaged but in one piece. Except for one that is burned on the edges. And that is the moment that it hits home, that you start realizing what really happened here. So much more powerful than having read about it in our newspapers, not even that long ago.
the Saint Thakla’s monastery church, fully rebuilt after ISIS destruction ten years ago
the icons behind glass, they are still the original ones
this one, too, left over from the original collection of old icons
and this is the saddest one, burnt at the edge
the village of Ma’loula, also part-rebuilt
in the local shops, plenty of local products for sale, the ones you can expect in a Christian enclave
and one of the most precarious balconies I have ever seen!
the outside of the Sarkis Hotel, or what is left of it
the inside, too, has suffered from Syrian and Russian bombardments
not much left of the original status as a luxury hotel
High above the town stands the Safir Hotel. Well, what is left of the hotel, which was turned into the ISIS command centre during the time they controlled the area here. You can see why they liked the place, with expansive views over the town below and the distant hills. The current state of the hotel, shot to pieces, is the result of a counter offensive by Syrian and Russian troops who chased ISIS away. With a result not that dissimilar from what ISIS left behind, I suppose, except that there has not yet been funding forthcoming for the restoration of the hotel.
the view from the hotel terrace, obviously a strategic location
Traces of Russian presence are evident in a small pre-Christian temple that sits in a cave just below the hotel. The temple is decorated with the images of eagles – a clear Roman symbol – on the wall and on the roof. And with Russian graffiti.
next: the crusader castle at Krak des Chevaliers
Roman eagle on the roof of a small dug-out temple below the hotel
and Russian graffiti, left by the ‘liberators’
the roofs of Ma’loula, from above
It’s great they rebuilt a lot of destroyed buildings!
Hmmm, most of it is still rubble. And my preference would be to help people first, and only afterwards rebuild churches and mosques. But I am not a believer…