Is Aramaic only spoken by Christians in Maaloula?
With two other nearby towns al-Sarkha (Bakhah) (Arabic: بخعة/الصرخه) and Jubb’adin (Arabic: جبّعدين), Maaloula is the only place where a Western Aramaic language is still spoken, which it has been able to retain amidst the rise of Arabic due to its distance from other major cities and its isolating geological …
What town speaks Aramaic?
Maalula, which means “entrance” in Aramaic, is the most famous of three villages around Damascus where the language is still used. In Syria’s northeast, Syriac, which is derived from Aramaic, is also still spoken.
How many Catholics are in Syria?
368,000 Catholics
The Catholic Church in Syria is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are 368,000 Catholics in Syria (and its refugee diaspora), approximately 2% of the total population.
What religion is practiced in Syria?
Sunni Muslims form the majority in Syria. In Syria and Lebanon, they tend to support the rebels and oppose the Assad regime, and Syrian Sunnis have been subject to ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Alawite minority in recent months.
What was Syria in Bible times?
Ancient Syria was a region referred to often in the Bible. In one well-known account, the apostle Paul cited the “road to Damascus”—the largest city in Syria—as the place where he had visions that led to his Christian conversion. When the Roman Empire fell, Syria became part of the Eastern or Byzantine Empire.
Where is the town of Maaloula in Syria?
The town is located 56 km to the northeast of Damascus and built into the rugged mountainside, at an altitude of more than 1500 m. It is known as one of four remaining villages where Western Neo-Aramaic is spoken, the other three being the nearby villages of Saidnaya, Jubb’adin and Bakhah .
What was the population of Maaloula in 2004?
According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Maaloula had a population of 2,762 in the 2004 census. However, during summer, it increases to about 10,000, due to people coming from Damascus for holidays.
When did the Battle of Maaloula take place?
Many pilgrims come to Maaloula, both Muslim and Christian, and they go there to gain blessings and make offerings. Maaloula became the scene of battle between Al-Qaeda linked jihadist Al-Nusra Front and the Syrian Army in September 2013. Syrian rebels took over the town on October 21.
