The Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Tartous
There are churches and monasteries in various parts of Syria, which have great status and constitute an important destination for visitors. Among them is the Greek Orthodox Dormition of the Virgin Mary Church, located in the Al-Sisiniyah district in the countryside of Safita in Tartus governorate.
The church, according to Head of the Safita Antiquities Department , researcher Samah Dayyoub , was built on the ruins of another ancient church. It is believed that its construction dates back to the Byzantine period.
She indicated to SANA that it contains several archaeological artifacts, including a baptismal urn made of stone and the tomb of the deacon Salem bin Daoud, who was found in a tunnel under the church and in his hand an old copy the Holy Bible written by him on papyrus containing inscriptions drawn with gold water.
Dayyoub added that the church also contains archaeological icons of Christ and Virgin Mary painted in natural colors such as vinegar, oil, egg yolk and others, some of which were present in the old Safita Tower and then were transferred to the church.
“ there are two icons of the Secret Supper and John the Baptist and a basalt lintel at the entrance to the church bearing inscriptions in the Greek language dating back to the Byzantine period, in addition to the presence of a large wooden cross above the icon of the Secret Supper” according to Dayyoub.
Concerning the architectural style of the church’s construction, Dayyoub explained that the shape of the current church is two arches from the west, a cross-arch that meets in the east with a cylindrical tubular arch that ends with the bend of the structure, adding that black basalt stones were used in building the church. The church is surrounded by a perennial oak tree that is more than 400 years old.
Dayyoub pointed out that the church was exposed to a fire in 1925 that caused vandalism and the destruction of its entrance, then the damaged part was rebuilt in 1926, while the residents of the area and the people celebrate on August 15 of each year the Dormition of the Virgin Mary within the church that bears the name of the Virgin.
Rawaa Ghanam