St. Elias Maronite Church, located in the Judayda (Jdeideh) quarter, was built in 1873. The church had two towers and a high dome. Its marble altar with yellow columns is situated under the dome on the east side, and its 1914 construction marks the first use of concrete in Aleppo. The altar was added during the period of Archbishop Michael Akras, who also inaugurated the musical clock on the tower that plays Ave Maria every fifteen minutes.
The church is situated on al-Farhat square, named after Archbishop Jermanos Farhat (1670-1732), founder of the Maronite library. A statue of the Archbishop was placed in the square for his 200th anniversary in 1934.
The church was damaged during the Syrian Civil War.1
Notes:
- Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums. Interactive Map of Conflicted Archaeological Sites. http://www.dgam.gov.sy/ [Accessed 9 February 2018].