Damascus' Arab Christian and Armenian quarters are impressive and dynamic, especially considering the fact that Syria is a Muslim majority country in the heart of the Arab world. And while the Arab-Israeli conflicts and the subsequent Jewish exodus have all but obliterated the Judaic presence in the city, Damascus' history as host to the three world religions--Islam, Christianity and Judaism--is special in the Middle East. The biblical references to Damascus, as well as the eclectic blend of Roman-Byzantine and Arab architectural styles in the grand Ummayad Mosque, attest to the city's historic nexus between the East and the West; wall reliefs carved with the Star of David in parts of the old town are further symbolic of the Syrian capital's multicultural lineage.
All this fascination with the multifarious aspects of Damascene culture led me to learn more about Syrian Christian life. And thanks to a Danish student I met in a hostel, I was introduced to the St Moses Monastery where I ended up staying for two nights.
Deir Mar Musa el-Habashi, located 90 km north of Damascus, is nestled in mountains around 1,400 metres above sea level and boasts a long, undulating rock staircase that is accessible only by foot. In the past, it would have required tremendous effort to carry loads of food and goods to the tip of the mountains while climbing the steep pathway. But now, a small gondola made from an iron box does the job, permitting visitors to unload their luggage on the cable mechanism before they set out on a hike.
Following a strenuous half-hour walk uphill, two heavy dogs drooping on a flat stone surface greet the visitors with a bark that reverberates through the valley. A large, 10-metre tall rock formation comes into view, at its base a 1-metre gap that serves as the entry to the church compound. It isn't obvious at first sight that a spacious grotto lies within the solid rock, until one stoops to get in and rises up again after a few footsteps to appreciate its height. The secluded cave nested in an already isolated mountainous desert demonstrates the peculiarity of this Syriac Catholic church. But its unusual stories do not end here; Deir Mar Musa was born of unique circumstances, its very prosperity today attributable to a panoply of exceptional factors.
The Monastery of St Moses the Abyssinian traces its origins to the founder St Moses, the son of an Abyssinian king in modern-day Ethiopia. Similar to the Buddha, St Moses forsook the crown and a comfortable royal lifestyle for a spiritual journey that carried him through Egypt, the Holy Land and Syria, where he eventually settled for a life as an ascetic in grottoes across the desert hinterland. Sadly, however, his quest came to an abrupt end when he suffered a violent death at the hands of an invading Byzantine army, his right thumb miraculously preserved in the Church of Nebek not far from Mar Musa.
Despite the tragic fate that befell its progenitor, the monastery withstood the worst of times by blending in with the surrounding Muslim neighbourhoods. In fact, as if to allay Muslim fears, a church wall is inscribed with Arabic letters dating to the Muslim year 450 (1058 AD) that echo the Koranic verse, "In the name of Allah (God) the Merciful, the Compassionate." Today, Syrian Muslims continue to pay visits to the church, intermingling with the friendly resident European and Syrian Catholic priests and nuns for interfaith dialogue.
(More to continue...)
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