Syria's communities and civilizations – history, sites and heritage
Greek Orthodox Christians (Patriarchate of Antioch)
Self-designation: روم (Rūm)
الروم الأرثوذكس
Religious communities
The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch is the largest Christian denomination in Syria; its patriarch has resided in Damascus since 1342. Its faithful live in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Wadi al-Nasara, Safita, Maaloula, Saidnaya, Tartus, Latakia and As-Suwayda.
The church continues the Chalcedonian Patriarchate of Antioch; its Arabic-speaking members call themselves Rum. The Mariamite Cathedral in Damascus, on the site of a late 4th-century church, has been the patriarchal cathedral since 1342 and was rebuilt after the 1860 riots.
Sources and details
Its liturgy uses Koine Greek and Arabic. Major pilgrimage places include the Our Lady of Saidnaya convent with the Shaghoura icon, the Convent of St Thecla at Maaloula and the Monastery of St George al-Humayra in Wadi al-Nasara. The Templar keep at Safita contains a chapel of St Michael used by the local Greek Orthodox community.
Wikipedia gives about 700,000 members without a year; this should be treated as an unverified pre-war figure. The Mar Elias church in Dweila, Damascus, was hit by a suicide bombing during the liturgy on 22 June 2025.
Sites connected with this community 12
- Church of the Dormition of Our Lady (al-Jdayde, Aleppo)Aleppo · Churches & monasteries
Church of the Dormition, al-Jdayde, Aleppo.
- Holy Cross Church, DamascusDamascus · Churches & monasteries
Holy Cross Church, Damascus (Eastern Orthodox in atlas data).
- Mar Elias Church, Dweila (Damascus)Dweila, Damascus · Churches & monasteries
Parish church in Dweila bombed on 22 June 2025.
- Mariamite Cathedral of DamascusDamascus (Bab Sharqi), Damascus · Churches & monasteries
Patriarchal cathedral of the Church of Antioch since 1342.
- St George Basilica, Izra'Daraa · Churches & monasteries
St George basilica at Izra'.
- Forty Martyrs Cathedral, HomsHoms · Churches & monasteries
Greek Orthodox Forty Martyrs Cathedral of Homs.
- Monastery of St George al-Humayra (Wadi al-Nasara)Homs · Churches & monasteries
Monastery of St George al-Humayra, Wadi al-Nasara.
- St. George’s Church (Qunaytra)Quneitra · Churches & monasteries
St George's Church in Old Quneitra.
- Cherubim Monastery (Deir al-Sheruvim), SaidnayaRif Dimashq · Churches & monasteries
Cherubim Monastery near Saidnaya.
- Convent of Saint Thecla (Mar Taqla), MaaloulaMaaloula, Rif Dimashq · Churches & monasteries
Convent of St Thecla at Maaloula.
- Our Lady of Saidnaya MonasterySaidnaya, Rif Dimashq · Churches & monasteries
Marian convent and pilgrimage shrine of Saidnaya.
- Chastel BlancTartus · Castles & fortresses
Safita keep whose chapel of St Michael is used by the Greek Orthodox community.
Sources (5)
- Minority Rights Group International, Syria (country page)
- Wikipedia, Christianity in Syria (secondary pointer)
- Wikipedia, Chastel Blanc (secondary pointer)
- Vatican News, Syria: Orthodox church bombing in Damascus (Saint Elijah) June 2025
- National Catholic Reporter, 'Suicide bomb attack on Syrian church kills at least 20, injures dozens' June 2025
These categories describe history, language and faith – not exclusive identities. Many Syrians belong to several, and some names refer to civilizations of the past.