- Type is exactly "Painting"
37 Items
The Church of Mar Sarkis, Sadad
The Church of Mar Sarkis (St. Sergius) in Sadad is a Syrian Orthodox Church that dates back to late antiquity. It is principally notable for its extremely rare C18th wall paintings commissioned by Bishop Dioskoros Sarukhan, who is reported to have died in Sadad on 11th February 1769 at the age of 110.
The images are unique not only because they are they only surviving C18th cycle on the entire region, but also for the information that they give us about the veneration of local saints. The scenes include Mar Musa al-Habashi (St. Moses the Abyssinian or Ethiopian) and Mar Elian esh-Sharqi (St. Julian the Old Man) both of whom have local monasteries named after them at Qaryatayn and Nabk respectively. Whereas Mar Elian is depicted on the medieval frescoes at Deir Mar Musa, this is the earliest known depiction of Mar Musa. Other unusual scenes include Jonah and the whale and portraits of Bishop Dioskoros and other bishops. There is also a notable, apparently C19th, icon of Mar Sarkis in the church. Before the civil war the paintings were being restored by a team from the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) and these images were taken in 2008 when the work was underway.
Type: Painting
Tags: C18th, Church, Deir Mar Musa, Dioskoros Sarukhan, Fresco, Jonah, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Mar Sarkis, Nabk, Qaryatayn, Sadad, St. Julian the Old Man, St. Moses the Abyssinian, St. Moses the Ethiopian, St. Sergius, Syria
The evangelist John
John is located on the eastern spandrel of the northern arcade of the nave and is the most damaged of the four evangelists. This picture was taken before the painting was cleaned and consolidated.
Type: Painting
Tags: 1207/08, An Nabk, Church, Deir Mar Musa, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Evangelist, Fresco, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Monastery, St. John, Syria
The evangelist Luke
The evangelist Luke is on the western spandrel of the northern arcade of the nave and although partially damaged is still identifiable as St. Luke.
Type: Painting
Tags: 1207/08, An Nabk, Church, Deir Mar Musa, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Evangelist, Fresco, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Monastery, St. Luke, Syria, Syriac Inscription
The evangelist Mark
The evangelist Mark is on the western spandrel of the southern arcade of the nave and clearly identifiable by inscription. The damaged ring around the head of the figure was caused by an attempt to steal this portion of the fresco which appears to have been disturbed.
Type: Painting
Tags: 1207/08, An Nabk, Church, Deir Mar Musa, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Evangelist, Fresco, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Monastery, St. Mark, Syria, Syriac Inscription, Theft
The evangelist Matthew and on the lower layer Elijah handing his cloak to Elisha as he ascends to heaven
This spandrel is at the east end on the south side of the nave and shows the evangelist Matthew writing his gospel. Behind him is the inscription that dates the third layer of fresco in the chapel to 1207/08. Underneath it is possible to see a scene painted post 1058 and pre 1095, which is the date of the second cycle. It shows Elijah handing his cloak to Elisha as he ascends to heaven and the two are identified by Greek inscriptions, which is the only language used on the first level, whereas Greek is only used for monograms on the later layers, which instead use Syriac, Arabic and Garshuni (Syriac characters to write Arabic words).
Type: Painting
Tags: 1207/08, An Nabk, Arabic, Arabic Inscription, Deir Mar Musa, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Elijah, Elisha, Evangelist, Fresco, Garshuni, Gospel, Greek, Greek Inscription, Mar Musa al-Habashi, St. Matthew, Syria, Syriac
The Last Judgement
The west wall of the church is the most well preserved of all the frescoes in the cycle and shows the Last Judgement. The left hand side (blue background) shows the elect ranked from the bottom as: Syrian Orthodox monks and nuns (identifieable by their monastic hoods embroidered with 13 crosses) and St. Peter, the Church Fathers and other saints and biblical figures, the Three Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and the Virgin Mary cradling the souls of the saved and above both sides the Apostles on either side of the Hetoimasia (Instruments of the Passion) with a pair of angels flanking the small window at the very top.
On the right hand side are the damned: fornicators, sinners such as usurers and murderers, foreign priests (Jews and Zoroastrians?), Muslims and at the top those Christians who are in doctrinal error - in this case those upholding the Council of Chalcedon.
In the centre Adam and Eve sit above two angels holding the scales of judgement and a saint or a devil receive the soul according to which side the scales fall on.
Type: Painting
Tags: 1207/08, Abraham, Adam, An Nabk, Angel, Apostles, Chalcedon, Church, Church Council, Deir Mar Musa, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Devil, Eve, Fresco, Hetoimasia, Isaac, Jacob, Jews, Last Judgement, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Monastery, Monk, Muslims, Nun, St. Peter, Syria, Syrian Orthodox, Virgin Mary, Zoroastrian
Unidentified saint above the south western arch
This small saint is inserted between St. Bacchus to the west and a damaged figure believed to have been St. George to the east. Its diminutive size is because it is sandwiched between the highest part of an arch and a window in the clerestory.
Type: Painting
Tags: 1207/08, An Nabk, Church, Deir Mar Musa, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Fresco, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Monastery, Saints, St. Bacchus, St. George, Syria
Unknown female saint
This saint faces St. Elizabeth as a west facing image underneath the central arch on the southern arcade. The bottom part dates from the third level of fresco, but the top section is more damaged and the first cycle is revealed. This picture was taken before the painting was cleaned and consolidated.
Type: Painting
Tags: 1207/08, An Nabk, Church, Deir Mar Musa, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Fresco, Mar Elian esh-Sharqi, Monastery, Saints, St. Elizabeth, Syria
Unknown female saint
This figure faces west under the most westerly arch of the southern arcade. The identification is unclear, but this is the only female saint to be shown with her hair uncovered and appears to represent an aristocratic or imperial figure. This picture was taken shortly before the painting was cleaned and consolidated.
Type: Painting
Tags: 1207/08, An Nabk, Church, Deir Mar Musa, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Fresco, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Monastery, Saints, Syria
Unknown female saint
This figure is facing St. Catherine and the west on the westernmost arch of the northern arcade but although generally well-preserved, the inscription naming the saint has not survived. This picture was taken before the image was cleaned.
Type: Painting
Tags: 1207/08, An Nabk, Church, Deir Mar Musa, Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Fresco, Mar Musa al-Habashi, Monastery, Saints, Syria, Syriac Inscription