Church of the Holy Belt
A Syriac Orthodox church in old Homs. It is named after the belt it keeps, and the low-ceilinged room below ground is the oldest part. Notes on visiting it.
- Opening hours
- Open outside services; hours vary
- Entry
- Free
- Duration
- 45 minutes
- Best time
- Morning, outside service times
- Period
- Early foundations with later layers
- Address
- Bustan al-Diwan, old city, Homs
Its Arabic name means “Mother of the Belt”. The church holds a belt believed to have belonged to the Virgin Mary; it was found under the altar in 1953, and the church has gone by that name ever since. It stands inside Bustan al-Diwan, the Christian quarter of Homs, at the end of narrow lanes.
What to see
The real room is below ground. One level under the present church there is a low-ceilinged section with stone arches — this is the oldest part of the building, and you have to stoop to get in. The main church above is wider and brighter; the difference between the two tells you how many times the building has been rebuilt.
Visiting
The church is open to visitors outside services, but the hours are not fixed; if the door is shut, ask in the courtyard and it is usually opened. It was badly damaged during the war and repaired, and the traces of that repair are visible inside.
Getting there
East of the old city, about twenty minutes on foot from the Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque. The lanes are narrow and hard to drive into; it is easier to park nearby and walk.
Tips
- The underground room is the thing to see; the ceiling is low, stoop going in
- If the door is shut, ask in the courtyard — it is usually opened
- A place of worship: cover shoulders and knees, no photographs during a service