Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, Homs

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace is the seat of the Melkite Greek Catholic archbishop of Homs, and the largest and most conspicuous church in the Old City. It was built in 1970 under the guidance of Italian engineers, in what its parish priest calls a Western style. It was badly damaged in the war. In 2014 the diocese chose restoration over demolition, and most of the work was done between 2016 and 2019.

Where it is

The cathedral stands on Escada Street in the Old City. The National Evangelical Church is about 100 m to the south, and the Jesuit Monastery and the Church of the Holy Belt are on the same line of churches. It makes a natural stop on a walk through the Old City’s Christian quarter.

What to see

The roof is what sets it apart from the stone churches around it. A steep cross-shaped roof reaches out beyond four gables, with a dome in the middle and a three-dimensional, three-barred cross on top. Icons and murals were first added in 1986 and 1987. After the war, the painter Ayman Bitar was commissioned to renew the murals and restore the icons.

What happened in the war

From April 2011 to May 2014 an armed group used the cathedral complex as its headquarters, with a field hospital in the archbishop’s house and the courtyard. On 8 May 2014, a few minutes after the archbishop’s delegation had toured the building and left, a 200 kg explosive planted in the pulpit went off. Nobody was hurt, but the foundations took further damage. The roof had holes between 1 and 7 m across, the stained glass was broken, the murals were black with soot, the icons were gone or destroyed, and the pews had been burned for fuel.

How it was restored

A first communion was held in the damaged church in 2016. The rebuilt altar was consecrated on 1 December 2017. With support from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), a Catholic charity, the building was largely finished by January 2018, and in November 2019 the interior was 95 percent complete. On 20 December 2019 the Joy Choir (Jawqat al-Farah) from Damascus sang here, its first concert in the church since the war began. Archbishop Jean-Abdo Arbach has led the diocese since 23 June 2012.

How long it takes

Half an hour. That is enough to see the roof and dome from outside and, if the door is open, the icons inside. There is no published timetable for visits; whether the door is open outside services is something you find out on the spot.

Do not miss

The three-dimensional cross on top of the dome. From right by the door the curve of the roof hides it; to see the three bars, step back a few paces and look up.