Church of Saint Elian

Not to be confused with the Monastery of St. Elian
Saint Elian Church
كنيسة مار اليان

Frescos inside the church
Basic information
Location Homs, Syria
Geographic coordinates 34°43′44″N 36°43′27″E / 34.7288°N 36.7243°E / 34.7288; 36.7243Coordinates: 34°43′44″N 36°43′27″E / 34.7288°N 36.7243°E / 34.7288; 36.7243
Affiliation Antiochian Orthodox Church
Year consecrated AD 432
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Active
Architectural description
Architectural type Church
Architectural style Byzantine architecture

The Church of Saint Elian (Arabic: كنيسة مار اليان‎‎, Kaneesat Mar Elian) is a church in Homs, Syria, located along Tarafa bin al-Abd Street near the Gate of Palmyra.[1] The Feast of St. Elian is held annually at the church on February 6 and attracts a large number of pilgrims.[2]

History

The church is named after Saint Elian, a native of Emesa (now Homs), who was martyred for his refusal to renounce Christianity in 284 AD at the hands of his father, a Roman officer.[1] St. Elian was a physician by trade and various miracles of healing are attributed to him.[2] The church itself was founded in 432 on the claimed spot of St. Elian's death, with his remains placed in a sarcophagus in a small chapel to the right of the church's main crypt.[1][2]

In 1969–70, the church was renovated.[2] During the renovation, the plaster which covered the inner walls of the crypt was removed, revealing ancient frescoes depicting murals of Jesus, Mary, the Apostles, and various Biblical prophets. The frescoes date to at least the 12th century, but it is widely believed to date to the 6th century, making them the oldest surviving church paintings in Syria.[1] Today, they are complemented by new frescoes in the main nave and side-aisles of the church painted by two Romanian iconographers, showing various scenes of St. Elian's lifetime.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Beattie and Pepper, 2001, p.55.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Mannheim, 2001, p.209.

Bibliography

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