Maaloula

            Maaloula is one of the scenic village in Syria.It's situated at an altitude of more than 1500 metres, with its little houses cling to the face of an enormous rock, making it look suspended in mid air. About an hour drive from Damascus and an interesting place where Aramaic the language spoken by Prophet Isa ( Jesus Christ in Christianity) is still used as a living language.The language is like Hebrew language when you hear the words once but when twice its totally different. The word Maaloula means entrance in Aramaic.

           To reached Maaloula in the old days and even today we have to past a passage within the hill. It was like a story of 1001 nights where adventure , magic and mystical. The passage will take us to the village and this passage was used by the villagers for entry and exit.

The Passageway

 

Experience The Past

           There are two monasteries in Maaloula, Mar Sarkis and Mar Taqla. I was told by the clergyman that the monasteries was built during the Prophet Isa ( Jesus Christ) about 1700 years ago. And when you entered the church which was in the hill, you can see the different from other Christian church. With a dim lights and a photo of Prophet Isa ( Jesus Christ) and the saint hanging on the cave wall, and a seats are arranged facing the alter. What amaze me is that when the Orthodox Christian do the prayer they lift their hands up similar as the Muslim when praying. This is something new for me because its totally different from the Christian that practice somewhere else.

The Monastery

The Village

           On the other end of the monastery there hold the remain of Saint Taqla. Its a place where Christian and even Muslim gain blessings and to make offerings. It was told that Saint Taqla a Christian during Christ, have miracles and since than people visit his place of rest to seek blessing.

          This is Maaloula , the unique village, still genuine in this whole world, a magnificent plaque that contains a strange mixture of past and present, reality and legend, sanctity and beauty.