"Maalula" Top 5 Page for this destination Syria Things to Do Tip by MalenaN

Maalula is situated about 50 km north of Damascus and can easily be visited on a daytrip, also including Seidnayya.

It is a charming little village in a narrow valley with light blue and yellow houses below the cliffs. Here you can visit the Convent of St Thecla. St Thecla was one of the first Christian martyrs and above the convent you will find her tomb, and a well of healing water. Above the village is the Monastery of St Serkis, where you will find an altar probably used already during pagan times and many nice icons. Take a walk through the siq, a canyon cut out of the rock by water. And stroll around in the quiet village.

Maalula is most famous as the place where Aramaic is spoken. Aramaic is the language Jesus was speaking and in which some scripts were written.

Buses to Maalula leave Damascus from Maalula garage, and it takes about an hour.