| Ma'loula מעלולא معلولا |
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 Ma'loula
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| Coordinates: 33°50′39″N 36°32′48″E / 33.84417°N 36.54667°E | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Rif Dimashq Governorate |
| District | Al-Qutayfah District |
| Nahiyah | Ma'loula |
| Elevation | 1,500 m (4,900 ft) |
| Population (2004 census) | |
| • Total | 2,762 |
Ma'loula or Maaloula (Aramaic: מעלולא, Maʿlūlā; Arabic: معلولا Maʿlūlā) is a village in the Rif Dimashq Governorate in Syria. The town is located 56 km to the northeast of Damascus, and built into the rugged mountainside, at an altitude of more than 1500 metres. It is known as the last surviving place where Western Aramaic is still spoken.
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Etymology [edit]
Maʿlūlā is from the Aramaic word maʿʿəlā (מעלא), meaning 'entrance'. Until recently, the village was dominated by speakers of Western Neo-Aramaic.
Population [edit]
As of 2005, the town has a population of 2,000.[1] However, during summer, it increases to about 6,000, due to people coming from Damascus for holidays.[2] Half a century ago, 15,000 people lived in Ma'loula.[3]
Religiously, the population consists of both Christians (mainly Antiochian Orthodox and Melkite Greek Catholic) and Muslims. For the Muslim inhabitants, the legacy is all the more remarkable given that they were not Arabised, unlike most other Syrians who like them were Islamised over the centuries but also adopted Arabic and shifted to an "Arab" ethnic identity.
Language [edit]
With two other nearby towns Bakh'a (Arabic: بخعة) and Jubba'din (Arabic: جبّعدين), it is the only place where a dialect of the Western branch of the Aramaic language is still spoken. Scholars have determined that the Aramaic of Jesus belonged to this particular branch as well. Ma'loula represents, therefore, an important source for anthropological linguistic studies regarding first century Aramaic, hence, Jesus' own Aramaic dialect. However, despite frequent mis-statements in the media,[4] it isn't the exact dialect Jesus of Nazareth spoke early in the first century.[5] The distance from other major cities and its isolating geological features fostered the longevity of this linguistic oasis for over one and a half thousand years. However, modern roads and transportation, as well as accessibility to Arabic-language television and print media - and for some time until recently, also state policy - have eroded that linguistic heritage.
Monasteries [edit]
There are two important monasteries in Ma'loula: Greek Catholic Mar Sarkis and Greek Orthodox Mar Thecla.
Mar Sarkis [edit]
One of the oldest surviving monasteries in Syria. It was built on the site of a pagan temple, and has elements which go back to the fifth to sixth century Byzantine period.[6] Mar Sarkis is the Arabic name for Saint Sergius, a Roman soldier who was executed for his Christian beliefs. This monastery still maintains its solemn historical character.
Mar Taqla [edit]
This monastery holds the remains of St. Taqla (Thecla), daughter of one of a Seleucid prince and pupil of St. Paul, and further purported to be both Paul's disciple and wife. According to legend, in the 1st century C.E., St. Taqla was being pursued by soldiers of her father to capture her because of her Christian faith. She came upon a mountain, and after praying, the mountain split open and let her escape through. The town gets its name from this gap or entrance in the mountain. However, there are many variations to this story among the residents of Ma'loula.
Other Monasteries [edit]
There are also the remains of numerous monasteries, convents, churches, shrines and sanctuaries. There are some that lie in ruins, while others continue to stand, defying age. Many pilgrims come to Ma'loula, both Muslim and Christian, and they go there to gain blessings and make offerings.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Robert F. Worth (2008-04-22). "Presumed language of Jesus fading away in Syria". International Herald Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Sly, Liz (2003-03-12). "Language of Jesus clings to life". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Black, Ian (2009-04-14). "Endangered Aramaic language makes a comeback in Syria". The Guardian (London).
- ^ http://antitattoo.com/312485-Modern-Aramaic-is-Not-the-Language-of-Jesus.html
- ^ Ross Burns, The Monuments of Syria, I. B. Taurus, 3rd edition 2009, p. 193.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Maalula |
- A web site dedicated to Ma'loula
- New York Times article on Aramaic language in Ma'loula and other villages in Syria
- Syrian village clings to Aramaic language at Al Jazeera English
- An episode from Australian program, Foreign Correspondent, about Ma'loula.
- The dialect of Ma'lula. Grammar, vocabulary and texts. (1897–1898) By Jean Parisot (in French): Parts 1, 2, 3 at the Internet Archive.
Coordinates: 33°50′39″N 36°32′48″E / 33.84417°N 36.54667°E
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