Damascus #2 - The Christian Towns of Maaloula and Seydnaya

Leaving the Castle of the Knights, I headed for the towns of Maaloula and Seydnaya, Christian areas where Aramaic (the language of Jesus) is  still spoken as a daily language.   Both towns are Christian,  part of the twenty percent of the country that is Christian.  At one time,  there were over 100 churches in this area.

Maaloula

I visited the tomb / shrine of St Takla,  a noble woman who converted to Christianity after hearing St. Paul preach.  She later used her gold and jewelry to help Paul be released from jail in Damascus.

Sister Aziya, in the picture above,  told me the story of St . Takla with great drama and passion.  She weaved the tale well, interspacing the drama with  her question, “You understand my English, yes? “ I admit I had to listen carefully but kept thinking "Not bad for someone who taught herself English."  

 By the way, the girl in the picture is studying Aramaic. The language is dying out and the UN has a program to get young people there to study and speak the language,  keeping it alive.  She spoke some Aramaic for me and asked me what I thought.  I responded: “It sounds very holy”  (Just kidding:  Karen and Ally you can stop rolling your eyes.) 

The Story of Takla

Takla was the daughter of rich parents who were pagans. Her father was the governor of the province and when she converted, the father, at the urging of her mother, ordered her burned at the stake. As the fire started, legend has it, God sent down a huge rain storm.  The father then ordered her thrown to the lions but they licked her hand. He had her tied to four bulls to be pulled apart but the ropes slipped and the bulls charged the crowd.  She ran away but was chased by the army.  She came to a mountain with nowhere to go and prayed to God who split the mountain into two parts and she was able to pass safely.  Maaloula means “entrance “in Aramaic c.  Although she died a natural death, people here call her the First Christian Martyr “ for all she suffered for her religion (at the hands of her parents!) Given how hopeless her situation seemed many times, she is also known as the saint who can cure impossible situations, a kind of St. Jude of the East.

Seydnaya

I did not get to Seydnaya until it was dark. This picture below was the best I could shoot. There was a lovely Christian Orthodox service in progress.  The priest sang like an opera star and the congregation responded like a professional chorus.  It was very moving.  I had hoped to see a painting of the Virgin Mary, supposedly painted by St. Luke but there was no chance. The mass had just started and it was already late. Unfortunately, I did not see two other churches, one built in the third century and the other built in the fifth century.  There is always next time!