Maalula

Maalula is known as one of three places where Western Aramaic is still spoken, the other two arein the nearby villages JubbAdin and Bakh’a .

Maalula is a predominantly Christian village with a population of about 2,000 people. It is the home of two ancient Christian monasteries: Mar Sarkis and Mar Taqla. Both Christian and Muslim pilgrims come to Maalula seeking blessings and sightseeing.

Maalula means “the entrance” in Aramaic, referring to its strategic location at the entrance to a rocky gorge. Maalula perches on the slopes of the Kalamun Mountains at an altitude of 1,500 meters, overlooking a vast green carpet of fig trees, flowering damsons, grapevines and poplar trees. In addition to its important monasteries, the village is an attraction in itself: visitors invariably experience the unique feeling of an amalgamation of the living history with modern times.

The Greek Catholic monastery of St. Sergius (Mar Sarkis or Mar Sergus) has a chapel with a beautiful display of icons,built in the 4th century on the remains of a pagan temple, the Mar Sarkis monastery is one of the oldest in Christendom.

Mar Sarkis is designed after the pattern of the martyrion (a shrine dedicated to a martyr) and is dedicated to St. Sergius, a Roman soldier who was executed for his Christian beliefs (Sergius has a grand basilica in Rasafa, Syria)) .)

The convent of Mar Sarkis retains its historic feeling and houses an interesting collection of religious icons from the 16th to the 18th century including one of the Virgin Mary and another of the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus.

Further down in the village is the Greek Orthodox monastery of St. Thecla (Mar Takla). Thecla was the daughter of a Seleucid prince and a young disciple of St. Paul whose dramatic life story was narrated. She is believed to be buried in the mountain just above the monastery. On the road that leaves the the village, there is a steep path on the right leading to a terrace where a small waterfall welcomes the pilgrims.

The building was constructed on several levels. On the top floor there is a modern church with a dome and a cave which filters water with miraculous properties. This religious monument receives a cascading stream of Christian and Muslim pilgrims while Other religious relics can be found in the convent but what amazes one most is the peaceful and wholesome ambience of the place.

Festivals and Events

The Maalulahas a collection of unique religious and festive songs and a great sense of community and festivity. There are three major festivals: the St. Cross Festival on September 14th; the Festival of Mar Takla on September 22nd; and the festival of Mar Sarkis on October 7th. Hundreds of visitors attend these celebrations and enjoy some of the most jubilant festivals all over syria.

L. Nasser