Opening Dormition Church of the Virgin Mary and Greek Orthodox Archdiocese after restoration

A celebration was held on Saturday evening to inaugurate Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary  and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese after restoring them and repairing the damages caused by terrorism in al-Jdaideih neighborhood in Aleppo Old City.

In a speech during the celebration, Patriarch John X Yazigi, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East for the Greek Orthodox, underlined the importance of reopening the old Archdiocese and the historic church after the return to life in the region and the elimination of terrorism.

Patriarch Yazigi added that the inauguration of the church and the archdiocese is a testimony to history saying that we are staying here to pray in Aleppo for peace for Syria and for the whole world.

Patriarch Yazigi affirmed the unity of the Syrian territory and the necessity of liberating every inch of it, calling for lifting the Western economic siege on Syria so that everyone could live in safety.

In turn, the Minister of Awqaf (Islamic Endowments), Dr. Mohammad Abdul-Sattar al-Sayyed, said that the reopening of the church and the archdiocese after their restoration constitutes a great day in Aleppo and Syria. It is a message of victory and faith, and that was only thanks to the sacrifices of the heroes of the Syrian Arab Army and the martyrs.

Al-Sayyed noted that all the people of Syria are working together to rebuild mosques and churches that have been subjected to terrorism and destruction by people who raised the banner of Islam while they do not belong to it.

“Syria is the cradle of the Islamic and Christian religion,” al-Sayyed said, pointing out that the Christian presence is authentic and deep-rooted in the minds and hearts of the Syrians.

For his part, Archbishop Ephraim Maalouli, Metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Aleppo, Alexandretta and their Dependencies said that the church returns today to its original and ancient brilliance after its restoration to remain evidence of the succession of generations throughout the ages, spreading salvation and love throughout the universe.

In a statement to a SANA reporter, Eng. George Tanus, the supervisor of the restoration work in the church, said that the restoration work began in 2018, when the church witnessed the destruction of nine domes of its roof out of 11 domes as a result of terrorism, and work was done to restore these domes using the original materials for construction, and in the second phase the restoration was done from the inside the church, and then the finishing aesthetic touches were added to the church.

Inas Abdulkareem