MONASTERY
Mar Sarkis Monastery
Maaloula · Melkite Greek Catholic
- Locality
- Maaloula
- Tradition
- Melkite Greek Catholic
- Type of place
- MONASTERY
- Coordinates
- 33.84563° N, 36.54363° E
- Identity
- Matched to a public listing
A brief history
The Melkite Greek Catholic monastery of Mar Sarkis is among the oldest surviving monasteries in Syria. It was built on the site of a pagan temple and keeps elements from the fifth to sixth-century Byzantine period. Sarkis is the Aramaic form of Sergius, a Roman soldier executed for his Christian belief, so the house is the same dedication as the Sergius and Bacchus churches elsewhere in the region.
An interesting detail
The monastery holds two of the oldest known icons, one of them a depiction of the Last Supper.