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Convent of Saint Thecla, Maaloula

دير مار تقلا

Orthodox convent at the foot of Maaloula's cliffs where tradition says St Thecla took refuge, beside the narrow rock gorge named after her.

At the foot of the cliff that Maaloula's houses climb stands the Greek Orthodox Convent of St Thecla. Christian tradition holds that Thecla, a disciple of St Paul, fled to these mountains and the rock split open to let her escape.

The convent includes a church and a grotto believed to be her dwelling, where water drips from the rock and is taken as a blessing. Its buildings step up the mountainside, reached by stairs among rocks and trees.

Beside it begins the Mar Taqla gorge, a narrow cleft carved by water, walked between high rock walls and linked in popular memory to the story of the parting mountain. With Mar Sarkis, it is a symbol of Aramaic-speaking Maaloula.

Note: photos may not reflect the site's current condition.

For the visitor

Photos

Photos: Bernard Gagnon — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · High Contrast — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY) · James Gordon from Los Angeles, California, USA — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY) · Fadi KAS ELIAS — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · Alen Ištoković — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY)