Chapel of Saint Paul
Encyclopedia
The Chapel of Saint Paul is a modern stone chapel in Damascus
that incorporates materials from the Bab Kisan
, the ancient city gate through which Paul was lowered out of a window in Acts 9:25.
.
It seems reasonable that the Bab Kisan was the gate through which Paul escaped. This southeastern district of the city was not only very close to the start of the Roman road that St. Paul would have taken, but was also the part where, from the earliest times, the Christians used to live. Early Christian tradition identified a window beside the Kisan Gate, as the window from which St. Paul was lowered.
The present name of the gate honors a slave who became famous during the Muslim Conquest, after being liberated by the Caliph Muawiyah I
. The gate has been sealed and then reopened and restored several times. The blocks at the base of the gate are Roman, while the style of the arch is clearly typical of the Mameluke
period.
The Arabic historian, Ibn Asakir
, says that the mosque situated in Darb el-Baia was formerly the church of the Jews, and was converted into a mosque called Ibn Shahrazouri. This, then, was one of the 15 churches in which the Caliph Omar
allowed the Christians to gather and worship. A few years later, Ibn Kathir
provides us with more information: the mosque restored by Sef ed-Din Boghaäis to be found inside the Bab Kisan and originally it was a church. It was seized in the year 1122 and converted into a mosque.
From the 13th century onwards, pilgrims and travellers have left many accounts in which the window of St. Paul's escape is located beside the Bab Kisan. However, none of these Christian accounts mentions the mosque. The first account we have is that of an anonymous Englishman (1244) who calls the gate Porta Santi Pauli. The Franciscan
, Bonifacio di Ragusa, situates the Porta Santi Pauli in the place that the tradition identifies with the escape of the Apostle, that is to say near the Bab Kisan. After him, all the reports confirm the existence of a window beside the Bab Kisan, which was venerated as the place of St. Paul's escape.
The mosque of Bab Kisan mentioned by the Arabic writers was restored in 1387, and from that time onwards there is no further record of it. In 1885, old and ruined, it was purchased together with the surrounding area by the Melkite
Patriarch Gregory Joseph. On this land a chapel was erected, whose walls incorporate traces of the ancient gate and a small section of the wall. It was inaugurated in 1939.
in Damascus, St. Paul began the tireless Christian preaching that would characterize the rest of his life, which led to a narrow escape from Damascus (Acts 9:20-25):
Paul himself later says that it was through a window that he escaped from certain death (2 Cor 11:32-33).
) from Straight Street and keep to the right. A 400-meter stretch of the ancient city wall stops at Bab Kisan, in front of the roundabout on the motorway to the airport.
The sober and austere design of the chapel blends in well with the antiquity of the walls. Two elegant and modern Chi-Rho monograms adorn the fortified towers that stand on either side of a fictitious window, similar in style to those of a medieval castle. It is not difficult to imagine the scene of the escape: how St. Paul, after being lowered from the wall, fled in haste down the road that leads to Jerusalem
.
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
that incorporates materials from the Bab Kisan
Bab Kisan
Bab Kisan is one of the eight ancient city-gates of Damascus, Syria. The gate, which is now located in the southeastern part of the Old City, was named in memory of a slave who became famous during a conquest by the Caliph Mu'awiya. The wall was built during the Roman era and was dedicated to Saturn...
, the ancient city gate through which Paul was lowered out of a window in Acts 9:25.
History
In St. Paul's time, the city of Damascus was surrounded by a wall pierced by seven gates. Bab Kisan is the gate on the southeastern side of Damascus and was dedicated to SaturnSaturn (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Saturn was a major god presiding over agriculture and the harvest time. His reign was depicted as a Golden Age of abundance and peace by many Roman authors. In medieval times he was known as the Roman god of agriculture, justice and strength. He held a sickle in...
.
It seems reasonable that the Bab Kisan was the gate through which Paul escaped. This southeastern district of the city was not only very close to the start of the Roman road that St. Paul would have taken, but was also the part where, from the earliest times, the Christians used to live. Early Christian tradition identified a window beside the Kisan Gate, as the window from which St. Paul was lowered.
The present name of the gate honors a slave who became famous during the Muslim Conquest, after being liberated by the Caliph Muawiyah I
Muawiyah I
Muawiyah I was the first Caliph of the Umayyad Dynasty. After the conquest of Mecca by the Muslims, Muawiyah's family converted to Islam. Muawiyah is brother-in-law to Muhammad who married his sister Ramlah bint Abi-Sufyan in 1AH...
. The gate has been sealed and then reopened and restored several times. The blocks at the base of the gate are Roman, while the style of the arch is clearly typical of the Mameluke
Mameluke
Mameluke was an American Thoroughbred race horse. Bred and raced by Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, he was out of the mare, Schwester, and was sired by the 1936 Epsom Derby winner, Mahmoud who became the Leading sire in North America in 1946 and the Leading broodmare sire in North America in...
period.
The Arabic historian, Ibn Asakir
Ibn Asakir
-Name:His full name was Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Hibat Allah ibn `Abd Allah, Thiqat al-Din, Abu al-Qasim, known as Ibn `Asakir al-Dimashqi al-Shafi`i al-Ash`ari.-Works:...
, says that the mosque situated in Darb el-Baia was formerly the church of the Jews, and was converted into a mosque called Ibn Shahrazouri. This, then, was one of the 15 churches in which the Caliph Omar
Omar
Omar can refer to:-Name:* Omar , including a list of people with the given name or surname Omar, Omer or Umar as well-Places:* Omar, Konar, a village in Afghanistan...
allowed the Christians to gather and worship. A few years later, Ibn Kathir
Ibn Kathir
Ismail ibn Kathir was a Muslim muhaddith, Faqih, historian, and commentator.-Biography:His full name was Abu Al-Fida, 'Imad Ad-Din, Isma'il bin 'Umar bin Kathir, Al-Qurashi, Al-Busrawi...
provides us with more information: the mosque restored by Sef ed-Din Boghaäis to be found inside the Bab Kisan and originally it was a church. It was seized in the year 1122 and converted into a mosque.
From the 13th century onwards, pilgrims and travellers have left many accounts in which the window of St. Paul's escape is located beside the Bab Kisan. However, none of these Christian accounts mentions the mosque. The first account we have is that of an anonymous Englishman (1244) who calls the gate Porta Santi Pauli. The Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
, Bonifacio di Ragusa, situates the Porta Santi Pauli in the place that the tradition identifies with the escape of the Apostle, that is to say near the Bab Kisan. After him, all the reports confirm the existence of a window beside the Bab Kisan, which was venerated as the place of St. Paul's escape.
The mosque of Bab Kisan mentioned by the Arabic writers was restored in 1387, and from that time onwards there is no further record of it. In 1885, old and ruined, it was purchased together with the surrounding area by the Melkite
Melkite
The term Melkite, also written Melchite, refers to various Byzantine Rite Christian churches and their members originating in the Middle East. The word comes from the Syriac word malkāyā , and the Arabic word Malakī...
Patriarch Gregory Joseph. On this land a chapel was erected, whose walls incorporate traces of the ancient gate and a small section of the wall. It was inaugurated in 1939.
In The Bible
After his baptism on the Street Called StraightStreet Called Straight
The Damascus Straight Street is the Roman street that runs from east to west in the old city of Damascus, Syria. It was visited by St. Paul as recorded in the book of Acts and contains several interesting sights from the Roman, Christian and Islamic periods.Under the Greeks, the old city of...
in Damascus, St. Paul began the tireless Christian preaching that would characterize the rest of his life, which led to a narrow escape from Damascus (Acts 9:20-25):
Paul himself later says that it was through a window that he escaped from certain death (2 Cor 11:32-33).
What to see
To visit the Chapel of St. Paul, go out the Eastern Gate (Bab SharqiBab Sharqi
Bab Sharqi , also known as the Gate of the Sun, is one of the eight ancient city gates of Damascus, Syria, and the only original Roman gate still standing. Its modern name comes from its location in the eastern side of the city. The gate also gives its name to the christian quarter surrounding it...
) from Straight Street and keep to the right. A 400-meter stretch of the ancient city wall stops at Bab Kisan, in front of the roundabout on the motorway to the airport.
The sober and austere design of the chapel blends in well with the antiquity of the walls. Two elegant and modern Chi-Rho monograms adorn the fortified towers that stand on either side of a fictitious window, similar in style to those of a medieval castle. It is not difficult to imagine the scene of the escape: how St. Paul, after being lowered from the wall, fled in haste down the road that leads to Jerusalem
Jerusalem in Christianity
For Christians, Jerusalem's place in the ministry of Jesus and the Apostolic Age gives it great importance, in addition to its place in the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible.-Jerusalem in the New Testament and early Christianity:...
.