Quizzes
Quick Facts
- Also spelled:
- Maalula
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Maʿlula
Maʿlula, Syria.
Maʿlula
Syria
Also known as: Maalula
Maʿlula, village in southern Syria about 30 mi (50 km) north of Damascus. The houses are built on the slopes of a huge cirque of rocks that encloses the village; the houses are constructed of stones with flat beam roofs. Most of the houses have blue plaster on the outside, a Christian custom. Most of the inhabitants are Greek-Catholic and have preserved in their spoken language a dialect of Syriac. The Catholic monastery of Mar Sarkis (St. Sergius) has a Byzantine church and Byzantine-period tombs cut into the rock behind. There is also an Orthodox monastery, Mar Takla (St. Thecla), which has a modern church.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.