Syria's communities and civilizations – history, sites and heritage
Melkite Greek Catholics
الروم الملكيون الكاثوليك
Religious communities
The Melkite Greek Catholic Church separated from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch when it entered communion with Rome in 1724. Its patriarchate is in Damascus at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Dormition, with eparchies in Aleppo, Homs, Latakia and Bosra-Hauran.
Under Patriarch Cyril VI Tanas the Melkite church entered communion with Rome in 1724; Rome recognised him in 1729. It shares the Byzantine rite and uses Greek and Arabic in its liturgy.
Sources and details
Its Syrian eparchies are Damascus (patriarchal see), Aleppo, Bosra and Hauran, Homs (with Hama and Yabroud) and Latakia. Heritage places include the Monastery of Sts Sergius and Bacchus at Maaloula and the Chapel of St Paul at Bab Kisan.
About 234,000 Melkites in Syria were reported in Holy See figures for 2008 (estimate; pre-war).
Sites connected with this community 6
- Melkite Cathedral of the Virgin Mary (al-Jdayde, Aleppo)Aleppo · Churches & monasteries
Melkite Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, Aleppo.
- Chapel of Saint Paul (Bab Kisan)Damascus (Bab Kisan), Damascus · Churches & monasteries
Chapel of St Paul at Bab Kisan (1939).
- Our Lady of the Assumption CathedralDamascus · Churches & monasteries
Melkite cathedral in Damascus (patriarchal see).
- Mariä-Himmelfahrt-KathedraleDaraa · Churches & monasteries
Melkite cathedral in Daraa governorate (Bosra-Hauran eparchy area).
- Monastery of Saints Sergius and Bacchus (Mar Sarkis), MaaloulaMaaloula, Rif Dimashq · Churches & monasteries
Byzantine-era monastery of Sts Sergius and Bacchus at Maaloula.
- Sts. Constantine and Helen cathedralRif Dimashq · Churches & monasteries
Melkite cathedral of Sts Constantine and Helen (Yabroud area).
These categories describe history, language and faith – not exclusive identities. Many Syrians belong to several, and some names refer to civilizations of the past.