Anecdotes about the Virgin Mary

The Shaghoura, the icon that unites Syria

Saidnaya (Syria) (6th century)

In the mountains north of Damascus, at an altitude of about 1,500 meters, stands the Greek Orthodox monastery of Our Lady of Saidnaya, dating back to the 6th century. The very name of the place, according to various sources, means "Our Lady" in Aramaic, as if the geography itself were proclaiming what is venerated there. The foundation of the monastery is attributed to Emperor Justinian I, and several chronicles cite the year 547 as the date of its establishment.

Pious tradition tells a beautiful story. Justinian, it is said, was hunting near Damascus when he pursued a gazelle that stopped by a spring in the mountains; as he approached, the animal transformed into the Virgin Mary, who asked him to build a sanctuary there. Other versions add that the emperor, lost and thirsty, was led to the water by that gazelle, and that Mary later showed him in a dream how the temple should be. It must be said honestly: the existence of the monastery since Justinian's time is documented, but the details of the hunt, the gazelle, and the visions belong to tradition and are not found in critical historical sources.

In the sanctuary is venerated an ancient icon of the Virgin Mary, known as the Shaghoura, "the Illustrious," kept behind a niche with silver doors in its own chapel. Tradition includes it among the icons attributed to Saint Luke the Evangelist, although more reliable sources place its origin around the 11th century, having arrived from Constantinople and been greatly venerated since the Crusades. The attribution to Saint Luke, therefore, should be understood as an honorific title of devotion, not as a proven date.

What is firmly established, and deeply moving, is that the shrine has been a place of pilgrimage for both Christians and Muslims for centuries. Sources agree that women of both faiths came before the image of the nursing Virgin to pray for the health and milk supply of their children. Muslims venerate Mary, whom they call Maryam, as the mother of the prophet Isa, and for this reason, this icon has become a unique point of convergence. Of the many miracles and healings attributed to the Shaghoura, the sources speak in general terms, but a detailed account of cases with names and dates is not available.

Even amid Syria's recent suffering, Saidnaya remains a sign of hope: proof that the Mother of Jesus can gather around her, before the same icon, those whom the world would like to pit against each other.