Deir Mar Musa

Josh and I had the opportunity to escape the busyness of Damascus this April with a visit to Deir Mar Musa. This ancient monastery was named after Saint Moses the Abyssinian and is notable for its remote mountain location, overlooking a desert valley.

Another remarkable thing about Deir Mar Musa is its history. It was founded in the mid-sixth century AD by the Syrian Antiochan Rite. The frescoes in the church go back to the 11th and 12th centuries. In the first part of the 18th century, the monastery was abandoned and remained so until 1984.

In 1984, restoration work began through a common initiative of the Syrian State, the local church, and a group of Arab and European volunteers. Today an Italian priest named Father Paulo leads the ecumenical group of nuns and monks who live and work at the monastery. Their work focuses on inter-cultural and inter-faith dialogue and sustainable agriculture, among other things.

The monastery is a place designed for reflection, and it extends its hospitality to all who wish to remain there, on the conditional that they partake in the community’s work. We spent one night there, and thoroughly enjoyed the conversations we had with other travelers over tea or washing dishes.