Shroro

The Syriac Orthodox Christian Digest - March, 2005

The Monastery of St. Moses the Abyssinian

Translated by Antoine B. and Saveg B

This is a magnificent story of a building that witnessed history and survived centuries. It is a building that has become a part of the history of early Christianity

From Qara, Mar Moussa the Abyssinian moved to the present location of this Monastery and conducted an ascetic life in one of its caves. He died there as a Christian Martyr. H.H Zaka I Iwas, the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church links the martyrdom of Mar Moussa to the return of the Byzantine emperor Hercules to Syria after his victorious campaign against the Persians in 628 A.D.

According to Patriarch Iwas: “On his way back, the emperor passed by the Monastery near Nabek, and killed numerous monks, including Mar Moussa the Abyssinian, upon their refusal to accept the Khaledonian doctrine (the Patriarchy’s Journal, vol.2, Feb 1984).

However, the earliest existing document mentioning the Monastery dates back to the year 575 A.D. describing it as a Syriac Monastery belonging to the Dioceses of Palmyra, Mar Jarjour.

The Monastery has evolved into a major spiritual center by the beginning of the Fifteenth Century. One of its monks, Abdullah Ibn al Muzawek, has become a Patriarch in 1512 A.D. with the name Patriarch Ignatius Jacob.

The Monastery remained a thriving religious center till the 18th Century. The last Syriac Patriarch died in 1832, and the Monastery was gradually deserted, while neglect had a devastating effect on the building. Animosity and hostility between the Orthodox and Catholic Syriac churches ended up with the Catholics gaining control of the Monastery.

Throughout the twentieth century the Monastery suffered from neglect. Matters sadly deteriorated and the Monastery actually became derelict.

In the summer of 1984, a major restoration process started in cooperation between the Italian and the Syrian governments. In 1999 a priest from Aleppo, Yakob Murad came to settle in the partially restored Monastery and was later joined by an Italian priest, Pio Baldi. Life has come back to this mysterious Monastery. It is still not well known to the general public, but it will become so very soon. Syria.On.Line invites you to be among the first to visit this sacred place.

Source: http://www.noturo.com