Church of Sultan Madokht

Dating to the fourth century AD, the Church of Sultan Madokht reflects the simple style and construction methods of early eastern churches. The barrel vaulted structure is made out of roughly hewn blocks of limestone. Although the standing structure has been recently renovated, it still maintains its original floor plan as well as some ancient architectural elements throughout the building. A modern wall surrounds the church; an outer gate leads into the open courtyard (see the panorama); this is used for religious ceremonies and celebrations (especially those performed yearly on May 15^th, commemorating the village’s patroness, Saint Sultan Madokht).   

The church’s main entrance is on the south side and leads into the first chapel, the baptism chapel (see the panorama). This is a long and narrow space with the floor consisting of two levels: a higher level starting from the main entrance and extending west and east, and the lower level, probably the original, at the easternmost end of the chapel. A stone baptistry basin is found in the southeastern corner of the lower level. Opposite to the basin, there is a small arched doorway that leads to the church’s main altar and chapel to the north. Carved into the northern and southern walls of the upper level are eight arched niches, four in each wall. In the second niche of the southern wall, the remains of a human skeleton are displayed. These include a skull and a mix of bones along with some artifacts. Above this niche and embedded in the southern wall is a modern marble slab bearing memorial inscriptions, both in Arabic and Neo-Aramaic, of Bishop Abd al-Ahad Smano Rais (1879-1916), who was buried in this church.

The church’s main space consists of a vaulted nave (see the panorama), which is larger and wider then the baptism chapel. The roofing of the main nave consists of a tall, pitched barrel vault with transverse arches. Its northern and southern walls have several square niches. Windows of various sizes were opened in the western wall of this space. The eastern wall divides the nave from the space of the altar, with small square doorways to its right and left. Inside the right doorway, there are remains of what appears to be a column that probably belonged to the ancient structure. An arched portal provides access from the nave into the altar chapel (see the panorama). The present altar chapel is decorated with modern wooden furniture as well as modern photos and paintings showing Jesus and mother Mary. The centerpiece, however, depicts the story of Saint Madokht and her two brothers and their encounter with the St. Abda, who cured her brother and brought him back to life. Inside of the altar chapel, square and arched niches are carved into the northern wall, while several square niches are found in the eastern and western walls. Some of these have crosses and flowers inside; while others have traces of soot indicating that they were places for votive candles. Several worn stone door sockets, no longer in use, are located both inside and outside of the church. These door sockets most likely belonged to the ancient structure, and they are kept inside the church as relics from the early building. Almost nothing remains of the imagery that might have adorned the original church. We do have a single brick—a loose find from the vicinity of the altar’s southwest corner—decorated with a typical eastern cross.

In recent years, under the leadership of Bishop Rabban el-Qas, the church building was heavily renovated: its main entrance and inner doorways were enlarged, its walls plastered with white gypsum, and its chapels lit with electricity.