These pictures show the late antique church of Mar Sarkis (St. Sergius) which is sometimes ascribed an early C4th, possibly pre-Constantinian, foundation date due to the exceptionally rare survival of a horseshoe-shaped altar table. This shape is usually associated with pagan altars and in this case is believed to have been made for a Christian place of worship due to the lack of drainage channels for blood sacrifices. The church also housed a large collection of icons, including an 1813 image of SS. Sergius and Bacchus by Michael of Crete. The fate of these icons is currently unclear after an attack on the church by jihadists in the course of the Syrian civil war.
Creator
Emma Loosley
Date of Visit
December 1992
Contributor
Cherryl & Richmond Hunt
Rights
Metadata and all media released under Creative Commons
unless otherwise indicated
Type
Architecture
Tags
Altar, Architecture, Church, Icon, Maaloula, Mar Sarkis, St. Sergius, Syria, Syrian Civil War
Collection
Item Type
Architecture
Citation
Emma Loosley, “Maaloula Church of Mar Sarkis,” Architecture and Asceticism, accessed November 21, 2024, https://architectureandasceticism.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/711.