Melkite Christianity in Syria
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Christians in Syria make up about 10% of the population.CIA World Factbook, ''People and Society: Syria''
/ref> The country's largest Christian denomination is the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, closely followed by the Greek Catholic Church, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches, which has a common root with the Eastern Orthodox Church of Antioch, and then by Oriental Orthodox Churches like
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
and Armenian Apostolic Church. There are also a minority of
Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
and members of the
Assyrian Church of the East The Assyrian Church of the East,, ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية sometimes called Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East,; ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية الرسول ...
and
Chaldean Catholic Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = Assyrian Church.png , imagewidth = 200px , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows Baghdad, Iraq , abbreviation = , type ...
. The city of
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
is believed to have the largest number of Christians in
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. In the late Ottoman rule, a large percentage of Syrian Christians emigrated from Syria, especially after the bloody chain of events that targeted Christians in particular in 1840, the 1860 massacre, and the Assyrian genocide. According to historian
Philip Hitti Philip Khuri Hitti (Arabic: فيليب خوري حتي), (Shimlan 22 June 1886 – Princeton 24 December 1978) was a Lebanese-American professor and scholar at Princeton and Harvard University, and authority on Arab and Middle Eastern history, Isl ...
, approximately 900,000 Syrians arrived in the United States between 1899 and 1919 (more than 90% of them Christians). The Syrians referred include historical Syria or the Levant encompassing Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. Syrian Christians tend to be relatively wealthy and highly
educated Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...
.Why Do So Few Christian Syrian Refugees Register With The United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees?
Marwan Kreidie: Adjunct Professor of Political Science, West Chester University.


Origins

The Christian population of Syria comprise 10% of the population. In Syria today there around 1.2 million among their population in Syria in 2010 before the civil war started. Most Syrians are members of either the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch (700,000), or the
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
. The vast majority of Catholics belong to the
Melkite Greek Catholic Church el, Μελχιτική Ελληνική Καθολική Εκκλησία , image = Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Damascus, Syria.jpg , imagewidth = 200px , alt = , caption = , abbreviatio ...
, which was created as a result of a schism within the Greek Orthodox Church, largely over a disputed election to the Patriarchal See of Antioch in 1724. Other Christian Churches in union with Rome include the Maronites, Syriac Catholics, Armenians, Chaldeans and a small number of Latin Rite Catholics. The rest belong to the Eastern communions, which have existed in Syria since the earliest days of Christianity. The main Eastern groups are: * the autonomous
Eastern Orthodox churches The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
; * the Eastern Catholic Churches, which are in communion with Rome; * and the independent
Assyrian Church of the East The Assyrian Church of the East,, ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية sometimes called Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East,; ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية الرسول ...
(i.e., the "Nestorian" Church). Followers of the Assyrian Church of the East are almost all Eastern Aramaic speaking ethnic Assyrians/Syriacs whose origins lie in Mesopotamia, as are some Oriental Orthodox and Catholic Christians. Even though each group forms a separate community, Christians nevertheless cooperate increasingly. Roman Catholicism and Protestantism were introduced by
missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
but only a small number of Syrians are members of Western denominations. The schisms that brought about the many sects resulted from political and doctrinal disagreements. The doctrine most commonly at issue was the nature of Christ. In 431, the Nestorians were separated from the main body of the Church because of their belief in the dual character of Christ, i.e., that he had two distinct but inseparable "''
qnoma The Church of the East ( syc, ܥܕܬܐ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ, ''ʿĒḏtā d-Maḏenḥā'') or the East Syriac Church, also called the Church of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the Persian Church, the Assyrian Church, the Babylonian Church or the Nestorian C ...
''" (ܩܢܘܡܐ, close in meaning to, but not exactly the same as,
hypostasis Hypostasis, hypostatic, or hypostatization (hypostatisation; from the Ancient Greek , "under state") may refer to: * Hypostasis (philosophy and religion), the essence or underlying reality ** Hypostasis (linguistics), personification of entities ...
), the human Jesus and the divine Logos. Therefore, according to Nestorian belief, Mary was not the mother of God but only of the man Jesus. The Council of Chalcedon, representing the mainstream of Christianity, in 451 confirmed the dual nature of Christ in one person; Mary was therefore the mother of a single person, mystically and simultaneously both human and divine. The Miaphysites taught that the Logos took on an instance of humanity as His own in one nature. They were the precursors of the present-day Syrian and Armenian Orthodox churches. By the thirteenth century, breaks had developed between Eastern or Greek Christianity and Western or Latin Christianity. In the following centuries, however, especially during the Crusades, some of the Eastern churches professed the authority of the pope in Rome and entered into or re-affirmed communion with the Catholic Church. Today called the Eastern Catholic churches, they retain a distinctive language, canon law and liturgy.


Eastern Orthodoxy

The largest Christian denomination in Syria is the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch (officially named the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East), also known as the
Melkite The term Melkite (), also written Melchite, refers to various Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian churches of the Byzantine Rite and their members originating in the Middle East. The term comes from the common Central Semitic Semitic root, ro ...
church after the 5th and 6th century Christian schisms, in which its clergy remained loyal to the Eastern Roman Emperor ("''melek''") of Constantinople. Adherents of that denomination generally call themselves "'' Rūm''" which means "Eastern Romans" or "Asian Greeks" in Arabic. In that particular context, the term "Rūm" is used in preference to "''Yūnāniyyūn''" which means "European Greeks" or
Ionia Ionia () was an ancient region on the western coast of Anatolia, to the south of present-day Izmir. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionian ...
ns in
Classical Arabic Classical Arabic ( ar, links=no, ٱلْعَرَبِيَّةُ ٱلْفُصْحَىٰ, al-ʿarabīyah al-fuṣḥā) or Quranic Arabic is the standardized literary form of Arabic used from the 7th century and throughout the Middle Ages, most notab ...
. The appellation "Greek" refers to the Koine Greek
liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
used in their traditional prayers and priestly rites. Members of the community sometimes also call themselves "Melkites", which literally means ''"supporters of the emperor"'' in Semitic languages - a reference to their past allegiance to Roman and Byzantine imperial rule. But, in the modern era, this designation tends to be more commonly used by followers of the local Melkite Catholic Church. Syrians from the Greek Orthodox Community are also present in the
Hatay Province Hatay Province ( tr, Hatay ili, ) is the southernmost province of Turkey. It is situated almost entirely outside Anatolia, along the eastern coast of the Levantine Sea. The province borders Syria to its south and east, the Turkish province of A ...
of Southern Turkey (bordering Northern Syria), and have been well represented within the
Syrian diaspora Syrian diaspora refers to Syrian people and their descendants who chose or were forced to emigrate from Syria and now reside in other countries as immigrants, or as refugees of the Syrian Civil War. The number of Syrians outside Syria is es ...
s of Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, the United States, Canada and Australia.


Oriental Orthodoxy

Traditional Christianity in Syria is also represented by
Oriental Orthodox The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent o ...
communities, that primarily belong to the ancient
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
, and also to the Armenian Apostolic Church.


Syriac Orthodox Church

The Syriac Orthodox Church is the largest
Oriental Orthodox The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent o ...
Christian group in Syria. The
Syriac Orthodox , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascu ...
or Jacobite Church, whose liturgy is in Syriac, was severed from the favored church of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Orthodoxy), over the
Chalcedonian Chalcedonian Christianity is the branch of Christianity that accepts and upholds theological and ecclesiological resolutions of the Council of Chalcedon, the Fourth Ecumenical Council, held in 451. Chalcedonian Christianity accepts the Christolo ...
controversy.


Armenian Apostolic Church

The Armenian Apostolic Church is the second largest
Oriental Orthodox The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent o ...
Christian group in Syria. It uses an Armenian liturgy and its doctrine is
Miaphysite Miaphysitism is the Christology, Christological doctrine that holds Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, the "Incarnation (Christianity), Incarnate Logos (Christianity), Word, is fully divine and fully human, in one 'nature' (''physis'')." It is a posi ...
(not monophysite, which is a mistaken term used or was used by the Chalcedonian Catholics and Chalcedonian Orthodox).


Catholic Church

Of the Eastern Catholic Churches the oldest is the
Maronite The Maronites ( ar, الموارنة; syr, ܡܖ̈ܘܢܝܐ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant region of the Middle East, whose members traditionally belong to the Maronite Church, with the larges ...
, with ties to Rome dating at least from the twelfth century. Their status before then is unclear, some claiming it originally held to the Monothelite heresy up until 1215, while the Maronite Church claims it has always been in union with Rome. The liturgy is in Aramaic (Syriac). The Patriarchate of Antioch never recognized the mutual excommunications of Rome and Constantinople of 1054, so it was canonically still in union with both. After a disputed patriarchal election in 1724, it divided into two groups, one in union with Rome and the other with Constantinople. Today the term "Melkite" is in use mostly among the Greek Catholics of Syria and Lebanon. Like its sister-church the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch ('Eastern Orthodox'), the
Melkite Greek Catholic Church el, Μελχιτική Ελληνική Καθολική Εκκλησία , image = Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Damascus, Syria.jpg , imagewidth = 200px , alt = , caption = , abbreviatio ...
uses both Greek and Arabic in its traditional
liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
. Most of the 375,000 Catholics in Syria belong to the Melkite Rite, the rest are Latin Rite, Maronites (52,000), Armenian or Syriac Rites.


Popes of the Catholic Church

Seven popes from Syria ascended the papal throne. Many of them lived in Italy. Pope Gregory III, was the last pope born outside Europe before
Francis Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places * Rural M ...
(elected in 2013).


Protestant Churches

In Syria, there is also a minority of
Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
. Protestantism was introduced by European
missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
and a small number of Syrians are members of Protestant denominations. The
Gustav-Adolf-Werk The Gustav-Adolf-Werk (GAW) is a society under the roof of the Evangelical Church in Germany which has for its object the aid of feeble sister churches and congregations. It is responsible for the taking care of the Diasporawork of the EKD, in co ...
(GAW) as the Evangelical Church in Germany
Diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...
agency actively supports persecuted Protestant Christians in Syria with aid projects.Lage- und Tätigkeitsbericht des Gustav-Adolf-Werkes für das Jahr 2013/14 Diasporawerk der Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland (GAW yearly report, in German) A 2015 study estimates some 2,000 Muslim converted to Christianity in Syria, most of them belonging to some form of Protestantism. By one estimate made by Elisabe Granli from University of Oslo, around 1,920
Syrian Druze Druze in Syria is a significant minority religion. According to The World Factbook, Druze make up about 3.2 percent of the population of Syria (as of 2010), or approximately 700,000 persons, including residents of the Golan Heights.http://gulf200 ...
converted to Christianity Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to Christianity. Different Christian denominations may perform various different kinds of rituals or ceremonies initiation into their community of belie ...
, according to the same study Christian of Druze background (Druze converts to Christianity) still regard themselves as
Druze The Druze (; ar, دَرْزِيٌّ, ' or ', , ') are an Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group from Western Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, syncretic, and ethnic religion based on the teachings of ...
, and they claims that there is no contradiction between being Druze and being
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
.


Demographics

The number of Christians in Syria has been disputed for many decades. There has been no official census on Religion in Syria since the sixties.


Status of Christians in Syria

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...
was one of the first regions to receive Christianity during the ministry of
St Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupation ...
. There were more Christians in Damascus than anywhere else. With the military expansion of the Islamic Umayyad empire into
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and Anatolia, non-Muslims who retained their native faiths were required to pay a tax (
jizya Jizya ( ar, جِزْيَة / ) is a per capita yearly taxation historically levied in the form of financial charge on dhimmis, that is, permanent Kafir, non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Sharia, Islamic law. The jizya tax has been unde ...
) equivalent to the Islamic Zakat, and were permitted to own land; they were, however, not eligible for Islamic social welfare as Muslims were. Damascus still contains a sizeable proportion of Christians, with some churches all over the city, but particularly in the district of
Bab Touma Bab Tuma ( ar, بَابُ تُومَا, Bāb Tūmā, meaning: "Gate of Thomas") is an area of the Old City of Damascus in Syria, and is also the name of one of the seven gates inside the historical walls of the city, which is a geographic landmar ...
(The ''Gate of Thomas'' in Aramaic and Arabic). Masses are held every Sunday and
civil servants The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
are given Sunday mornings off to allow them to attend church, even though Sunday is a working day in Syria. Schools in Christian-dominated districts have Saturday and Sunday as the weekend, while the official Syrian weekend falls on Friday and Saturday.


Integration

Christians engage in every aspect of Syrian life and Syrian Christians are relatively wealthy and more highly
educated Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...
than other Syrian religious groups. Following in the traditions of Paul, who practiced his preaching and ministry in the marketplace, Syrian Christians are participants in the economy, the academic, scientific, engineering, arts, and intellectual life, entertainment, and the
Politics of Syria Politics in the Syrian Arab Republic takes place in the framework of a presidential republic with nominal multiparty representation in parliament but with most opposition parties suppressed. President Bashar al-Assad, and his Arab Sociali ...
. Many Syrian Christians are public sector and private sector managers and directors, while some are local administrators, members of Parliament, and ministers in the government. A number of Syrian Christians are also officers in the armed forces of Syria. They have preferred to mix in with Muslims rather than form all-Christian units and brigades, and fought alongside their Muslim compatriots against Israeli forces in the various Arab–Israeli conflicts of the 20th century. In addition to their daily work, Syrian Christians also participate in volunteer activities in the less developed areas of Syria. As a result, Syrian Christians are generally viewed by other Syrians as an asset to the larger community. In September 2017, the deputy
Hammouda Sabbagh Hammouda Youssef Sabbagh ( ar, حمودة يوسف الصباغ , born 10 February 1959) is a Syrian politician who has been the Speaker of the People's Council of Syria since September 2017. He is the first Syriac Orthodox Christian to have held ...
, a Syriac Orthodox Christian and member of the
Ba'ath Party The Arab Socialist Baʿath Party ( ar, حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي ' ) was a political party founded in Syria by Mishel ʿAflaq, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Bītār, and associates of Zaki al-ʾArsūzī. The party espoused B ...
, was elected speaker of parliament with 193 votes out of 252.


Separation

Syrian Christians are more
urbanized ''Urbanized'' is a documentary film directed by Gary Hustwit and released on 26 October 2011. It is considered the third of a three-part series on design known as the Design Trilogy; the first being ''Helvetica'', about the typeface, and the seco ...
than Muslims; many live either in or around
Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...
,
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
,
Homs Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
,
Hama , timezone = EET , utc_offset = +2 , timezone_DST = EEST , utc_offset_DST = +3 , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , ar ...
, or
Latakia , coordinates = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = 11 , elevation_ft = , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code = Country code: 963 City code: 41 , geocode ...
. In the 18th century, Christians were relatively wealthier than Muslims in Aleppo. Syrian Christians have their own courts that deal with civil cases like marriage, divorce and inheritance based on Bible teachings. The Constitution of Syria states that the President of Syria has to be a Muslim; this was as a result of popular demand at the time the constitution was written. However, Syria does not profess a state religion. On 31 January 1973, Hafez al-Assad implemented the new constitution (after reaching power through a military coup in 1970), which led to a national crisis. Unlike previous constitutions, this one did not require that the president of Syria to be of the Islamic faith, leading to fierce demonstrations in
Hama , timezone = EET , utc_offset = +2 , timezone_DST = EEST , utc_offset_DST = +3 , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , ar ...
,
Homs Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
and Aleppo organized by the Muslim Brotherhood and the ''ulama''. They labeled Assad as the "enemy of Allah" and called for a ''jihad'' against his rule. Robert D. Kaplan has compared Assad's coming to power to "a Jew becoming tsar in Russia—an unprecedented development shocking to the Sunni majority population which had monopolized power for so many centuries." The government survived a series of armed revolts by Islamists, mainly members of the Muslim Brotherhood, from 1976 until 1982.


Christian cities/areas

Christians spread throughout Syria and have sizable populations in some cities/areas; important cities/areas are: *
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
– has the largest Christian population of various denominations (mostly ethnic Armenians and Assyrian/Syriac. Also members of Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and Melkite Catholic Church) *
Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...
– contains sizable Christian communities of all Christian denominations represented in the country *
Homs Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
– has the second largest Christian population (mostly members of Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch) *
Wadi al-Nasara Wadi al-Nasara ( ar, وادي النصارى / ALA-LC: ''Wādī an-Naṣārá'', Greek: Κοιλάδα των Χριστιανών, ''Koiláda ton Christianón'', which both mean "Valley of Christians") is an area in western Syria, close to the ...
or Valley of Christians – has a sizable Christian population in the area (mostly members of Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch) * Safita - has a sizable Christian population (mostly members of Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch) * Maaloula – has a sizable Christian population (mostly members of Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and Melkite Catholic Church) * Saidnaya – has a sizable Christian population (mostly members of Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch) * Tartous – has a sizable Christian population (mostly members of Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch) *
Latakia , coordinates = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = 11 , elevation_ft = , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code = Country code: 963 City code: 41 , geocode ...
– has a sizable Christian population (mostly members of Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch) *
Suwayda , timezone = EET , utc_offset = +2 , timezone_DST = EEST , utc_offset_DST = +3 , coordinates = , grid_position = 296/235 ...
– has a sizable Christian population (mostly members of Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch) *
Al-Hasakah Al-Hasakah ( ar, ٱلْحَسَكَة, al-Ḥasaka; ku, Heseke/حەسەکە; syr, ܚܣܝܟܐ Hasake), is the capital city of the Al-Hasakah Governorate, in the northeastern corner of Syria. With a 2004 census population of 188,160, it is the e ...
– has a large ethnic Assyrian/Syriac population (mostly members of
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
) * Qamishli – has a large ethnic Assyrian/Syriac population (mostly members of
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
) * Khabur River – 35 villages has a large ethnic Assyrian/Syriac population (mostly members of
Assyrian Church of the East The Assyrian Church of the East,, ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية sometimes called Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East,; ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية الرسول ...
) *
Hama Governorate Hama Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة حماة / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Ḥamā'') is one of the 14 Governorates of Syria, governorates of Syria. It is situated in western-central Syria, bordering Idlib Governorate, Idlib and Aleppo Governorates ...
– has a number of Christian towns/cities/villages (
Maharda Maharda ( ar, محردة, Maḥarda, ), also spelled Mhardeh or Muhardah, is a city in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located about 23 kilometers northwest of Hama. It is situated along the Orontes River, near the ...
, Al-Suqaylabiyah, Kafr Buhum,
Toumin Toumin ( ar, تومين, also spelled Toumine) is a village in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, southwest of Hama. Nearby localities include Deir al-Fardis to the northwest, Kafr Buhum to the north, al-Rastan to th ...
,
Ayyo Ayyo ( ar, أيو) is a village in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located south of Hama. Nearby localities include Kafr Buhum to the northwest, al-Khalidiyah to the north, Maarin al-Jabal to the northeast, al-Bura ...
,
Al-Biyah al-Biyah ( ar, البيه) is a Syrian village located in the Hirbnafsah Nahiyah, Hirbnafsah Subdistrict in Hama District. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (Syria), Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), al-Biyah had a population of ...
,
Ain Halaqim Ain Halaqim ( ar, عين حلاقيم, also spelled Ein Halakim) is a village in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located west of Hama. Nearby localities include al-Bayda and Masyaf to the north, al-Bayyadiyah ...
,
Barshin Barshin ( ar, برشين) is a Syrian village located in Ayn Halaqim Nahiyah in Masyaf District Masyaf District ( ar, مصياف ') is a district ( mantiqah) administratively belonging to Hama Governorate, Syria. At the 2004 Census it had a po ...
, Al-Bayda,
Hazzour Hazzour ( ar, خربة حزور, also known as Hazzur or Khirbat-Hazzour) is a Syrian village located in the Ayn Halaqim Subdistrict in Masyaf District, located southwest of Hama. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Hazzour ...
). Christians also live in the city of
Hama , timezone = EET , utc_offset = +2 , timezone_DST = EEST , utc_offset_DST = +3 , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , ar ...
*
Idlib Governorate Idlib Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة ادلب / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Idlib'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay province to the north, Aleppo Governorate to the east, Hama ...
– has five Christian villages (
Al-Quniyah Al-Quniyah ( ar, القنية, Syriac alphabet, Syriac: ܩܢܙܐ, , also spelled Quniya) is a village in northwestern Syria, administratively belonging to the Idlib Governorate, located northwest of Idlib, 35 km north of Jisr ash-Shugur, and ...
,
Al-Yacoubiyah Al-Yacoubiyah ( ar, اليعقوبية, al-Yaʿqūbīyah, hy, Յակուբիե; also spelled Yacoubiyeh, Yakoubieh, Yacoubeh or Yaqoubiyah) is a village in north-west Syria, administratively part of the Jisr ash-Shugur District, subordinate to the ...
,
Judayda Jadeidi-Makr or Makr-Jadeidi ( he, גֻ'דֵידָה-מַכְּר; ar, مكر جديده) is an Arab local council formed by the merger of the two Arab towns of Makr and Jadeidi in 1990. It is located a few kilometers east of the city of Acre i ...
,
Hallouz Hallouz ( ar, حللوز) is a Syrian village located in Jisr al-Shughur Nahiyah in Jisr al-Shughur District, Idlib. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Hallouz had a population of 547 in the 2004 census. Its inhabitants a ...
and
Al-Ghassaniyah Al-Ghassaniya ( ar, الغسانية also spelled Ghassaniyeh) is a town in central Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate, located south of Homs and just east of Lake Qattinah. Nearby localities include Kafr Mousa to the south, dist ...
). Christians also live in the cities of
Idlib ar, إدلبي, Idlibi , coordinates = , elevation_m = 500 , area_code = 23 , geocode = C3871 , blank_name = Climate , blank_info ...
and
Jisser al-Shughour Jisr ash-Shughūr ( ar, جِسْرُ ٱلشُّغُورِ, jisr aš-šuġūr, , also rendered as ''Jisser ash-Shughour'' and other spellings), known in antiquity as Seleucobelus ( el, Σελευκόβηλος, translit=Seleukóbēlos), is a city i ...
.


Syrian Christians during the Syrian Civil War

Syrian Christians, in line with their fellow citizens, have been badly affected by the Syrian Civil War. According to Syrian law, all Syrian men of adult age with brothers are eligible for military conscription, including Christians. Since the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, 300,000 to 900,000 Christians have left the country,http://www.aina.org/reports/utrmcfsi.pdf but as the situation began to stabilize in 2017 following recent army gains, return of electricity and water to many areas and stability returning to many government controlled regions, some Christians began returning to Syria, most notably in the city of
Homs Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
. During the Syrian civil war, several attacks by ISIS have targeted Syrian Christians, including the
2015 al-Qamishli bombings The 2015 Qamishli bombings refer to three bombs, that detonated in three restaurants in Wusta, an Assyrian district of the Syrian-Turkish border town of Qamishli on 30 December 2015. The first reports stated, that it were suicide bombings, howev ...
and the
July 2016 Qamishli bombings The July 2016 Qamishli bombings were a twin car bombing in a Rojavan-held district in the city of Qamishli, part of the al-Hasakah Governorate in Syria. The bombings killed more than 44 and more than 171 were wounded. The Islamic State of Ira ...
. In January 2016,
YPG The People's Defense Units (YPG), (YPG) ; ar, وحدات حماية الشعب, Waḥdāt Ḥimāyat aš-Šaʽb) also called People's Protection Units, is a mainly-Kurds in Syria, Kurdish militia in Syria and the primary component of the ...
militias conducted a surprise attack on Assyrian checkpoints in Qamishli, in a predominantly Assyrian area, killing one Assyrian and wounding three others. More than 120 churches and Christian places of worship have been destroyed since the Syrian civil war began in 2011. In November 2021, the Armenian Catholic Church of the Martyrs in Raqqa’s city center was rebuilt by the aid group called the Free Burma Rangers. Following a visit to Syria, to participante in a conference that brought together representatives of the Syrian churches and NGOs working with them in the country, Regina Lynch, project director for Aid to the Church in Need, described the difficult situation the local communities endure, but added that "for many Christians, the war has had a positive effect on the faith, and, in spite of everything, it has been an opportunity for the Church to put its teaching on charity and forgiveness into action".


Notable Christians

* George Sabra, member of Syrian opposition. *
Philip Stamma Philipp Stamma ( – c. 1755), a native of Aleppo, Ottoman Syria, later resident of England and France, was a chess master and a pioneer of modern chess. His reputation rests largely on his authorship of the early chess book ''Essai sur le jeu de ...
, chess player *
Fares al-Khoury Faris al-Khoury ( ar, فارس الخوري, Fāris al-Khūrī) (November 20, 1877 – January 2, 1962) was a Syrian statesman, minister, prime minister, speaker of parliament, and father of modern Syrian politics. Faris Khoury went on to become p ...
,
Prime Minister of Syria The prime minister of Syria (Arabic: رئيس وزراء سوريا), formally titled the president of the Council of Ministers ( ar, رئيس مجلس الوزراء), is the head of government of the Syrian Arab Republic. Nomination The prime ...
(1944-1945) and (1954-1955) *
Mikhail Ilyan Mikhail Ilyan (Arabic: ميخائيل اليان), was a Syrian politician who served as foreign minister of Syria in the 1940s. Biography He was born in Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto ...
, Minister of Foregin affairs (1945) * Michel Aflaq, philosopher and politician * Dawoud Rajiha, Minister of Defence (2011-2012) * Ibrahim Haddad, Minister of Oil and Mineral Reserves (2001-2006) *
Sami al-Jundi Sami al-Jundi ( ar, سامي الجندي; 15 December 1921 – 14 December 1995) was a Syrian Ba'athist politician, and a follower of Michel Aflaq. Life An older cousin of Abd al-Karim al-Jundi, Jundi was born to a scholarly family in Salamiyah. ...
, politician * Mikhail Wehbe, Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations (1996-2003) *
Hammouda Sabbagh Hammouda Youssef Sabbagh ( ar, حمودة يوسف الصباغ , born 10 February 1959) is a Syrian politician who has been the Speaker of the People's Council of Syria since September 2017. He is the first Syriac Orthodox Christian to have held ...
, Speaker of the People's Council of Syria since 2017 *
Yohanna Ibrahim Yohanna Ibrahim ( ar, يوحنا إبراهيم) also Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim (born August 18, 1948) is the Syriac Orthodox archbishop of Aleppo. He was kidnapped on April 22, 2013, along with Paul (Yazigi), the Greek Orthodox metropolitan of ...
, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop and kidnapping victim * Paul (Yazigi) of Aleppo, Greek Orthodox Archbishop and kidnapping victim * Paul of Aleppo, chronicler * Maxim Khalil, actor *
Bassem Yakhour Bassem Yakhour ( ar, باسم ياخور; born 16 August 1971 in Latakia, Syria) is a Syrian actor, writer and director. Career Born in Latakia, Baseem Yakhour graduated from Higher Institute of Dramatic Art in 1993 and joined the Syrian acto ...
, actor *
George Tutunjian George Tutunjian ( hy, Ճորճ (Գեւորգ) Թութունճեան,''Geworg T’ut’unč̣ean''; c. 1930 in Aleppo, Syria – November 7, 2006 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) was a singer of Armenian patriotic and revolutionary songs and life ...
, musician *
Lena Chamamyan Lena Chamamyan ( ar, لينا شماميان, hy, Լենա Շամամեան; born 27 June 1980) is a Syrian-Armenian singer-songwriter known for her soprano voice and unique style, which fuses jazz, Middle Eastern folk music and Western classica ...
, singer *
Faia Younan Faia Younan ( ar, فايا يونان; born 20 June 1992) is an Assyrian-Syrian singer, considered the first Middle Eastern artist ever to crowdfund her debut. Early life Younan was born on 20 June 1992 to an Assyrian Christian family in the ...
, singer *
Nouri Iskandar Nuri Iskandar ( syr, ܢܘܪܝ ܐܣܟܢܕܪ, ar, نوري إسكندر, born 1938 in Deir al-Zur, Syria), was an Assyrian Syrian musicologist and composer, he is known for his work in Assyrian/Syriac sacral and folk music. Biography Nuri I ...
, composer


See also

* Persecution of Christians by ISIL * Sectarianism and minorities in the Syrian Civil War *
1860 civil conflict in Mount Lebanon and Damascus The 1860 civil conflict in Mount Lebanon and Damascus (also called the 1860 Syrian Civil War) was a civil conflict in Mount Lebanon during Ottoman rule in 1860–1861 fought mainly between the local Druze and Christians. Following decisive Druz ...
*
Massacre of Aleppo (1850) The Massacre of Aleppo ( ar, قومة حلب, '), often referred to simply as The Events ('), was a riot perpetrated by Muslim residents of Aleppo, largely from the eastern quarters of the city, against Christian residents, largely located in the ...
*
Religion in Syria Religion in Syria refers to the range of religions practiced by the citizens of Syria. Historically, the region has been a mosaic of diverse faiths with a range of different sects within each of these religious communities. The majority of Syria ...
*
Eastern Orthodoxy in Syria Eastern Orthodoxy in Syria represents Christians in Syria who are adherents of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Eastern Orthodox and 'Greek' Catholic tradition is represented in Syria by two distinct albeit historically and culturally related Byz ...
*
Catholic Church in Syria 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. The Catholics of ...
* List of monasteries in Syria *
List of churches in Aleppo List of active churches and cathedrals in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Note that around 20 churches received varying damage during the Battle of Aleppo, which ended in December 2016. Armenian churches *Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenian Diocese ...
*
St Baradates St Baradates (died ''circa'' 460) was a hermit who lived in the Diocese of Cyrrhus in Syria, and whose bishop, Theodoret, called him "the admirable Baradates." Baradates lived in a tiny hut, too small for him to stand upright, and he wore a leath ...


References


Further reading

* * * * * *


External links


European Centre for Law and Justice (2011): The Persecution of Oriental Christians, what answer from Europe?
{{Demographics of Syria Religion in Syria Syrian Christians Middle Eastern Christians