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Mariamite Cathedral

كاتدرائية سيدة النياح (المريمية)

An Orthodox cathedral with roots tracing to the 1st century AD, seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, in the heart of the Christian quarter of Old Damascus.

The Mariamite Cathedral (Cathedral of the Dormition of Our Lady) sits at the heart of the Christian quarter of Old Damascus, and is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world, with historical accounts tracing its roots to the 1st century AD, making it a witness to the continuous Christian presence in Damascus since the dawn of the Christian faith.

Over its long history the church suffered damage and fires on several occasions, most notably during the events of 1860, but was repeatedly restored and rebuilt, preserving its role as a continuous place of worship despite all the historical challenges the city has faced.

The name "Our Lady of the Dormition" refers to the falling asleep of the Virgin Mary, which the Eastern churches mark on 15 August. The cathedral stands in the Christian Quarter near the eastern end of the Street Called Straight, the principal Greek Orthodox church of Damascus. Since the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East moved to Damascus in the late Middle Ages, this church has been the patriarch's seat and the place of the community's great celebrations.

The cathedral holds special importance as the official seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, one of the oldest Christian patriarchates in the world and one most closely tied to the roots of early Eastern Christianity, giving it a spiritual and historical status extending well beyond Damascus itself.

For the visitor

Photos

Photos: Dosseman — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · upyernoz — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY)