Maʿlūla: dwellings cut into the rock; funerary grottos covered with ancient graffiti.
The Greek Orthodox convent placed under the protection of Mār Taqla (St. Thecla) stands at the foot of a funerary chapel that is partially carved out of the cliff wall. It is built at the top of one of the slopes on which are constructed the houses of the village of Maʿlūla. St. Thecla was a young pagan girl converted by St. Paul and miraculously sheltered in the Qalamūn. Maʿlūla is of special interest not only for its geographical position, but also for the pure Aramaic dialect which continues to be spoken there. Because of the tenacity of its hardy inhabitants, the rocky soil produces figs of excellent quality and grapes which yield a very good wine. The church of a second convent, Mār Sarkīs (St. Serge or Sergius), which overlooks the village, dates back to perhaps the 7th century.
Jacques Ghislain de Maussion de Favières. Damascus, Baghdad: Capitals and lands of the caliphs. Translation to English by Edward J. Banks. Librairie orientale (Dar el-Mashreq), Beirut, Lebanon. 1972.
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