Seidnaya and Homs

Yesterday I got the bus North of Damascus to Seidnaya, the site of the Greek Orthodox Covent of our Lady which hosts a portrait of Our Lady purportedly painted by St. Luke and which was considered second in importance to Jerusalem during the time of the Crusades. The convent sits majestically above the town perched on a rocky peak and its imposing façade looks more like a fort than a place of worship. As I arrived in the chapel a christening was taking place. A large ornate basin was placed in front of the altar and after some prayers and candle-lighting the unsuspecting baby was ducked head first (and everything else following) into the water. She was not too impressed with the surprise!

The views from the roof of the convent over the town were spectacular, and some of the mosaics inside were very impressive. I didn’t see any Muslim visitors but giving that it’s the holiest time of the year for Muslims they probably thought it more appropriate to visit their own holy sites.

Today I caught the bus to Homs, a small town 2 hours North of Damascus. After an excellent lunch I met up with a couple of German travellers and we explored the town. First stop was the impressive Khaled Ibn Al-Walid Mosque, named after the warrior who after first fighting against Mohammed joined forces with him and fought on behalf of Islam. He is attributed with conquering Syria for Islam and is said to have never lost a battle despite fighting more than a hundred, and in fact his war strategy is still studied today. After that we wandered through the sleepy markets (Eid is not over until Thursday) and the Christian area, where we visited a church that allegedly holds one of the Virgin Mary’s ornate belts. Given the number of claims by religious sites to hold garments of biblical characters, many appear to have had pretty enormous wardrobes! Tomorrow I will head a little further North to the town of Hama, famed for its ancient water wheels.

- David