Cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa (Tartus)
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa, which was erected in Tartus between the 12th and 13th centuries on the site of a Byzantine church, is considered the best preserved religious structure of the Crusades. It was one of the great Marian shrines of the Latin East: tradition, already living in Byzantine times, held that St. Peter had founded there a small church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Since 1956 the building has been home to the National Museum of Tartus.
🌹 Wonders and anecdotes
- The local tradition, prior to the Crusades, venerated this place as the seat of a primitive church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and linked to St. Peter, which made it a favorite destination of the medieval pilgrims.
- Its factory combines the Romanesque and the first Gothic: the columns of the ship show the stylistic transition, and the Marian sanctuary was located on the north side of the ship.
- It is a unique case among the cross churches preserved for being fortified: the Templars, lords of Tortosa between 1152 and 1291, provided it with sacraments--defensive tower that are still preserved.
- After the fall of Tortosa in 1291 it was converted into a mosque and later used as a stable; since 1956 it is the National Museum of Tartus, which holds archaeological custody throughout Syria.
Our Lady of Tortosa
For the Christian memory of Syria, this temple keeps the memory of one of the most venerated Marian shrines of the medieval Eastern Mediterranean, the goal of pilgrims during the Crusades. Although today it is a museum, its stones continue to bear witness to eight centuries of devotion to the Mother of God on the Syrian coast.
"Our Lady of Tortosa, a living memory of the faith in the East, keeps the Christians of Syria under your cloak.
Is the advocation of the Virgin Mary of your people missing?
Si no encuentras la advocación mariana de tu ciudad o pueblo, cuéntanosla: la investigaremos para ubicarla y darla a conocer en este mapa del amor de la Madre por el mundo.
Propose an apvocation →