Church of the Dormition of Our Lady

Church of the Dormition of Our Lady (Arabic: كنيسة رقاد السيدة العذراء‎) is a Greek Orthodox church in Jdeydeh quarter of Aleppo, Syria.[1] The church belongs the Greek Orthodox Prelacy, the Diocese of Aleppo. It was built during the first half of the 15th century and is active up to now.

Church of the Dormition of Our Lady
Church of the Dormition of Our Lady
Religion
AffiliationGreek Orthodox Church
RegionAleppo
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusTemporarily abandoned
Location
LocationAl-Jdayde quarter,
Aleppo, Syria
Location in Aleppo
Geographic coordinates36.206035°N 37.155768°E / 36.206035; 37.155768
Architecture
TypeChurch
Completed15th century
Specifications
Dome(s)1
Materialsstone

History

The church was mentioned in an Armenian manuscript written by Movses Vardapet as one of three churches that were enlarged and renovated in 1499-1500 by the donation of an Armenian elite named Reyis Baron Yesayi. The two others being the Forty Martyrs Armenian Cathedral and the old Saint Elias Maronite Church.[2]

The Italian explorer Pietro Della Valle who visited Aleppo in 1625, has mentioned the church as the Church of Saint Georges, being one of the four churches that were built adjacent to each other in one yard with one gate, in the newly created Jdeydeh Christian quarter. The other three churches are the Forty Martyrs Armenian Church, the Holy Mother of God Armenian Church (the current Zarehian Treasury) and the old Maronite Church of Saint Elias.[3]

The Cathedral was damaged during the 1822 earthquake of Aleppo. It was renovated between 1850-1852, after the Aleppo massacre of 1850 (Arabic: قومة حلب‎), when the Christians of Aleppo were massacred and the quarter of Jdeydeh was entirely destroyed by the Muslim population of the city.[4]

The Cathedral is home to many valuable icons of the famous Aleppine school.

See also

References
  1. "Qenshrin.com: Guide to the Christian congregations in Aleppo (in Arabic)".
  2. Manuscript No. 70, author: Movses Vardapet, found in April 2000, kept in Zarehian Museum-Treasury of the Forty Martyrs Cathedral
  3. "Church of the Dormition of Our Lady: the crown of Aleppo". Skandarassad.com. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  4. "Aleppo massacre of 1850" (PDF). Skandarassad.com. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
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