Displaying items by tag: Maaloula

In the Syrian war, the town of Maaloula - one of the few places where people still speak a dialect of Jesus' language, Aramaic - was occupied by Islamist al-Nusra militants. Almost all of the town's 3,000 inhabitants, mostly Christians, had to flee from their homes. Thankfully, the town has now been liberated. Many homes were damaged in the fighting, and every church was burned or vandalised, yet some believers have now returned. With support from local churches and partners of Open Doors, families are beginning to rebuild their homes. Four have already been reoccupied, and in the coming months they expect the other houses to be finished too. Gradually, the infrastructure in Maaloula is also being restored. A bakery, pharmacy and bookshop have opened their doors again.