The Cathedral of Elijah the Prophet, Aleppo

The Greek Orthodox cathedral of Aleppo stands in the Syriac quarter, beside the Quweiq. The building was finished at the end of the 20th century and consecrated on 17 December 2000. It has been the seat of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese of Aleppo and Alexandretta ever since; the cathedral before it was the Church of the Dormition in the Jdeydeh quarter.

Getting there

The road along the Quweiq runs past the front of the cathedral, and the dome shows from the railing on the river side. The churches of Jdeydeh lie about 1 km south, so the two fit into one walk.

What to see

The west front sits between two square towers. In the middle is a gabled wall with a round rose window, and under it an arched porch resting on columns. The towers are pierced by tall narrow arched openings. The facade is faced in small squared stone panels. The dome stays hidden behind the front.

Recent history

In April 2013 the Greek Orthodox archbishop Boulos Yazigi, who lived at the cathedral, was abducted together with the Syriac Orthodox archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim. Neither has been heard from since. The see stayed empty until the end of 2021, when Ephrem Maalouli was appointed.

What most people miss

Walk out to the riverside road and look back. Only from there do the dome, the tiled roof and the two towers come together in one view; stand in front of the facade and you never see the dome at all.