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The Decorated Syrian Orthodox Churches of Saddad (Syria)*

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The Decorated Syrian Orthodox Churches of Saddad (Syria)* ECA 8 (2011), p. 57-82; doi: 10.2143 / ECA.8.0.2961366 The Decorated Syrian Orthodox Churches of Saddad (Syria)* Mat IMMERZEEL INTRODUCTION to investigate the expressions of a communal iden- tity among oriental Christians up till present, so From time immemorial, the mountainous region to that Saddad’s eighteenth-century murals suddenly the north of Damascus known as the Qalamun has became more relevant to my study. Unfortunately, been a bulwark of Syrian Christianity. Whereas my plans to return to the Qalamun for additional most of the Qalamun’s Christian inhabitants were research in 2011 had to be cancelled due to the Melkites, a number of communities supported the persisting unrest in Syria. Rather than delaying the Miaphysite standpoints. The pre-eminent Syrian publication of my study until further notice, Orthodox stronghold in this region was the sparsely I decided to write the present article, which, as the populated region stretching from the north-eastern reader will understand, has a provisional status. Qalamun to Homs, where they had two monaster- ies: Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi in the mountains SOME REMARKS ON SADDAD’S HISTORY east of Nebk, and Deir Mar Elian as-Sharki near Qaryatain1. One of the villages with an enduring At first sight, Saddad seems to be a place in the Miaphysite tradition is Saddad, situated in a desert middle of nowhere. Nevertheless, for centuries it landscape some 60 km to the south of Homs and was an essential stopover for travellers on their way 100 km to the north of Damascus (Pl. 1). Here, to or from Palmyra (Tadmor). This settlement was three Syrian Orthodox churches are still in use; situated on or near the Roman road connecting they are dedicated to St Theodore (Mar Tadros), Palmyra with Damascus and perhaps also Baal- St Sergius (Mar Sarkis), and St George (Mar Gir- beck3. The first mention of Saddad occurs in the gis), respectively. Mar Sarkis and Mar Girgis are unique insofar as they preserve a series of wall paint- ings from the eighteenth century. These murals are * This research was funded by the Netherlands Organization all the more interesting as they have turned out to for Scientific Research (NWO) and Leiden University. be the only known testimonies of Syrian Orthodox I would like to express my gratitude to Yuri Pyatnitsky, painting activities in Late Ottoman Syria. They who provided a photocopy of Uspensky’s article and form the topic of the present study2. scans of the images in this article; to Bas ter Haar Romeny, Anais Massot, and Bas Snelders for their help; and Maria Sherwood Smith for her corrections to the English in this My first visit to Saddad took place in May 1996. article. I returned to the village in May 2004 and on both 1 For the historical sources on these monasteries and their occasions I took some photographs and notes. My relations with Saddad, see Kaufhold 1995; Cruikshank Dodd 2001, 22. primary aim at the time was to document the 2 Another instance of a decorated church from the Ottoman medieval wall paintings of the Qalamun, and from period is that of the Maronite Monastery of Qannubin in this perspective I regarded the paintings in Saddad the Qadisha Valley (Lebanon). The interior was embel- as merely an interesting diversion. However, things lished by the Cypriot Maronite Butros al-Musawwir at the order of Patriarch Estephanus ad-Dwaihi (1670-1704); see changed when in 2006 Professor Bas ter Haar Immerzeel 2009, 117, with further references. Noteworthy Romeny of Leiden University was granted a Euro- but not directly relevant to the present subject is the flour- pean Young Investigator (EURYI) Award to carry ishing of Syrian Orthodox church decoration in the Kerala out the project ‘Identity and Migration: Christian region (India) during the seventeenth and eighteenth cen- turies (Kurisummoottil 2006). Minorities in the Middle East and in Diaspora’. As 3 Chapot 1907, 333. For this discussion, see Herzog zum a member of the research team, it became my task Sachsen 1927, 234. 57 95300_ECA8(2011)_05.indd 57 27/02/13 15:20 any material evidence, such as inscriptions men- tioning its previous name. Until the final quarter of the nineteenth cen- tury, the isolated position of the north-east Qala- mun and unsafe travelling conditions7 discouraged western visitors from leaving the road between Damascus and Homs to follow the eastbound track to Palmyra. The earliest detailed description of Saddad, its archaeological remains and wall paint- ings is found in Eduard Sachau’s Reise in Syrien und Mesopotamien, published in 1883. He was in the village on 21 October 1879 and left us the follow- ing impressions: Nachdem wir zwei Höhenzüge passirt, gelangten wir 2. 5 nach Sadad, einem grossen, von Jacobiti- schen Christen bewohnten Dorf. Ein stattliches Bächlein fliesst, von Bäumen umsäumt, auf der Westseite des Dorfes vorbei, und im Süden dessel- ben erhebt sich ein hoher, die Gegend dominiren- der Tell, der aus Bautrümmern früherer Zeiten Pl. 1. Map of the Northeast Qalamun (from Google Earth) besteht, also wohl die Lage eines alten Castells ein- nimmt. Auch in Sadad befinden sich Baureste aus römisch-griechischer Zeit. Im Südost des Dorfes Chronicle of Michael the Syrian (1166-1199), who steht die Kirche des Mâr Djirdjîs, im Inneren relates the ordination of Bishop Athanasius of geschmückt mit rohen Heiligen-Darstellungen al Saddad in A.G. 1441/A.D. 11304. Its earlier his- fresco, die von Karschûnî-Inschriften begleitet sind. tory remains a mystery. In the past scholars have Diese Kirche ist zum Theil mit antikem Material tried to link Saddad to the Old Testament city gebaut, denn man sieht korinthische Capitäle und Zedad mentioned in Numbers 34:8 and Ezekiel andere unzweifelhaft antike Baureste theils in der 47:15, or to Roman cities on the road between Mauer eingemauert, theils vor der Kirche umher- Damascus and Palmyra, such as Danaba, or liegen. Ferner steht in der Mitte des Ortes ein nicht Danova5, and Salthata6. Since the village has never sehr hoher, runder Thurmbau, an dem ich Kenn- been the subject of archaeological research, none of zeichen seines Ursprungs nicht zu entdecken ver- these interpretations has yet been substantiated by mochte. In dem Kloster des Mâr Serkîs zeigte man mir auf dem Hof einen Brunnen, in den ein Stein mit sehr verwischten Schriftzeichen eingemauert ist. Es ist eine Griechische Inschrift, die auf dem 4 Chabot 1905, 478 (XLII), 483, 497 (Appendix III; ‘Çadad’ Kopfe steht8. in Chabot’s translation). From the sixteenth century onwards the names of several Syrian Orthodox bishops and scribes originating from Saddad have been recorded (Fiey Although Saddad is still waiting for systematic 1993, 261-262; Kaufhold 1995, passim). According to archaeological exploration, there can be little doubt Fiey, the foundation of a bishopric in Saddad goes back to about the old age of this settlement. The tell that the eleventh century. Sachau noticed to the south of the village is extant9, 5 Chapot 1907, 333. For Danaba/Danova, see: http://www. newadvent.org/cathen/04616a.htm. For the epigraphic evi- and, moreover, in Saddad’s street plan one vaguely dence of the identification of Qaryatain with Nezala, see recognizes the square layout of a Roman city (Pl. 2). Clermont-Ganneau 1897; Millar 1993, 299. The tower seen by Sachau in the village centre, 6 Dussaud 1927, 269. however, no longer exists. The building was photo- 7 For the fear of Bedouin attacks near Saddad, see Wright 1895, 25-26. graphed by Johann Georg, Herzog zu Sachsen in 8 Sachau 1883, 54. 1927 (Pl. 36), and four more pictures of the tower 9 Al-Arab 1995, 275. are included in Habib al-Arab’s study about the 58 95300_ECA8(2011)_05.indd 58 27/02/13 15:20 Pl. 2. Saddad (from Google Earth) history of Saddad, published in 1995 (see below)10. Georg, Herzog zu Sachsen, who arrived in Saddad The latter states that the building measured 10m on 29 March 192719. Johann Georg, who remem- long, 8m wide and 22m high, and recounts how bered the murals of Deir al-Surian, the Coptic part of the tower collapsed on 16 January 1919, monastery with a strong Syrian Orthodox tradition killing fourteen people. Fear of more casualties that he had visited on the eve of the First World resulted in its total demolition in 193511. It should War, did not hide his disappointment about the be noted that a Late Antique fort can still be found paintings in Mar Sarkis. This was not the quality in Hawarin, a former Roman city between Saddad he expected. The duke dated the murals to about and Qaryatain (Pl. 1)12. Perhaps these fortifications 1200 and was much displeased by the fairly recent were integrated into the defence system set up rough repainting of the representations, although under Diocletian along the Strata Diocletiana13. he was more positive about the murals in Mar Girgis. He took photographs of the scenes, but was To return to the wall paintings, in 1900 an expedi- tion of the Russian Archaeological Institute in Constantinople headed by the institute’s director 10 Al-Arab 1995, Ills 37-40; Herzog zum Sachsen 1927, 234, 14 Taf. III, Abb. 1. Fedor Uspensky , passed through Saddad. Two 11 Al-Arab 1995, 269, 274. The tower is briefly mentioned in years later Uspensky briefly described the decora- Chapot 1907, 333: “(…) une tour carrée haute de 20 tion of both churches in a published report includ- mètres et forte de 8”. ing a sketched plan of Mar Sarkis and several pho- 12 Sachau 1883, 53; Herzog zum Sachsen 241, Taf. VI, Abb. 1-4.
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