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Mgsblade β Ma'loula
Published: 2008-07-09 15:25:39 +0000 UTC; Views: 717; Favourites: 16; Downloads: 13
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Description
Mar Sarkis has one of the oldest churches in Syria, dating back to the 4th century, with some beutiful 16th-18th century paintings.In one of the corners sits a 4century pagan alter, which is said to be proof that no blood sacrifices where ever held there (due to the complete round stone rim)
Also the wood beams were carbon dated, and appear to be 2000 year old Lebanese cedar.
Aramaic is taught verbally here, and intentions to open a university is in the works.
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Comments: 25
17 years backwards this plaΓ±e was such...no any changes
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AH 17 years! don't say that I feel so old! lol
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which denomination of christianity worships here?
is the church made of limestone?
beautiful interior
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Thank you very much 
The Denomination of this church is Greek Orthodox, and yes it is made of white limestone, thats a good eye you have there!
Byzantine origin, the church is dedicated to a Roman officer called Sirgis, who was executed for refusing to make an offer to the sun.
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thank you: i was reading up on safita and it mentioned limestone so i just figured it would be widespread in syria and lebanon as common building material.
ROMAN officer? you mean one of the greek byzantines right? cause i know they thought of themselves as roman.
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No, he was Roman Roman, based out of a fort in Resafa, Syria around the third century.
He's actually a Saint along with another soldier:Bacchus
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thanks for this.
bacchus? are you serious?
that's ironic considering that bacchus is the roman god of wine like dionysos of the greeks. now a man NAMED bacchus is a saint... what irony
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haha! that is quite funny
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i know i notice funny things like that
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I really love the symmetry of this photo! The lighting is perfect too.
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Ooo this one is a little blurry, you needed a tripod
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Really? the original is quite sharp and I actually thought this one was too.
I did reduce the quality in order to upload it quickly! maybe i should upload a better quality one!
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Hmm maybe it's my monitor then, but i see some blurryness from the lights in the room? A bit like if you squint at something in real life - so maybe it's me
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no no its probable the degraded quality your right. i can see it now
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Oh good, i dont need new glasses then...
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haha i dont think i have ever heard someone use that word to describe it before! thank you !
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I've visited this chruch many times, I like it. Nice shot
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Thank you, After coming back from the green areas of Halab and Hama, I did not like the setting of ma'loula or Siednayya, also there were millions of school kids, which made it worse!
but the actual church inside is amazing, and in one corner there was a flag with the Holy Grail depicted on it!
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Well the only obsticle of enjoying Siednaya and Ma'loula is the school students, I was a kid and they usued to take us there 
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I didn't get a chance to visit them allot, just passed by the shrines, but my friend is like you he LOVES it there, in fact his godmother is a Nun in Siednaya
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That's nice, I hope you could be able to visit them for a long time in the future.
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when i do go back i wish to visit the east
but i might visit Siednaya sometime soon!
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