Pretty Maaloula

Maaloula, Syria

I liked the sound of the name even before I set eye on Maaloula.

With its traditional houses at the foot of some very steep cliffs and the attraction of its monasteries the small but beautiful village is a lovely place to spend a peaceful day. It is one of the few places where Aramaic, the language of Jesus, is still spoken.

It is said that, while being chased by soldiers to be executed for her faith, St. Thekla - a pupil of St Paul - she was cornered against the rock wall and asked God for help. Suddenly a cleft in the rock opened up in front of her and she could flee to safety. The narrow canyon cut by the waters draining from the plateau above is small but quite spectacular, like a miniature version of Petra's Siq. The Monastery of St. Thekla is built around the shrine of St. Thekla at the beginning of the canyon.
A walk through the canyon and then on the plateau above leads you to another holy place: the Monastery of St. Sergios with parts dating from the 4th century. Inside the small Byzantine church with its round altar is extremely beautiful in its simplicity. The few century old ikons inside are themselves outstanding and precious. It is one of the most beautiful churches I've ever been to.

It was probably a combination of factors - a beautiful bright day, my feeling better after a bad cold, people smiling back at me, the aroma of fresh baked bread, the beauty of the natural setting and the simplicity of the small church - I simply took my time enjoying the feeling of joy and peace stirred by this place. For hours I wandered around and hiked up on a hill above the village offering great views.

In the end I wandered through the little village getting lost in the maze of passages and lanes. Some children stopped and asked me for pictures a couple of times. Once the shutter clicked and I showed them the picture they thanked me and said good-bye smiling. Warm smiling encounters, I had missed them for a while now and so I was happy and most positively impressed.