Church of Saint Porphyrius
| Church of Saint Porphyrius | |
|---|---|
كنيسة القديس برفيريوس | |
 Saint Porphyrius Church in 2022 | |
 | |
| 31°30′12″N 34°27′44″E / 31.5033062°N 34.4620836°E | |
| Location | Gaza City |
| Country | State of Palestine |
| Denomination | Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Porphyrius |
| Consecrated | 1150 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1150-1160 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 22.9 meters (75 ft) |
| Width | 8.9 meters (29 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Tiberias |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Alexios Moschonas |
The Church of Saint Porphyrius (Greek: Εκκλησία του Αγίου Πορφυρίου, romanized: Ekklisía tou Agíou Porfyríou, IPA: [e.kliˈsi.a tu aˈʝi.u por.fiˈri.u]; Arabic: كَنِيسَة الْقِدِّيس بُرْفِيرْيُوس, romanized: Kanīsat al-Qiddīs Burfīryūs) is a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City, State of Palestine. It belongs to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and is the oldest active church in the city and is said to be the third oldest church in the world.[1] Located in the Zaytun Quarter of the Old City of Gaza, it is named after the 5th-century bishop of Gaza, Saint Porphyrius, whose tomb is situated in the northeastern corner of the church.[2]
History
Crusader and Byzantine eras
A church was built on the site as early as AD 425,[3] but the construction of the current church was undertaken by the Crusaders in the 1150s or 1160s; they dedicated it to St Porphyrius. In the seventh century, the church had been converted into a mosque.[4] Records from the 15th century show that the church may have also been dedicated to the Virgin Mary.[5] The church was renovated in 1856.[2]
At the age of 45, the Patriarch of Jerusalem[disambiguation needed] appointed Saint Porphyrius as custodian of the Venerable Wood of the Cross of the Lord.[6] He was described by the Roman Christian hagiographer Mark the Deacon as the Christianizer of the "disobedient pagan people of Gaza."[7] According to the legend, there was a terrible drought in Gaza that ended only after Saint Porphyrios and a group of 280 Christians prayed to God with "fasting, vigil and procession." This led to the conversion of 25 pagans, as rain in this region was considered God's greatest gift.[8]
Architecture
There are some cornices and bases that date back to the Crusader period, but much of the other portions are later additions.[9] The church is rectangular shape in shape, with a half-domed roofed temple.[10] Its pavement 1.8 meters (5.9 ft) below ground level in its southern part, and 3 meters (9.8 ft) below ground level at the northern end, suggesting that the present building was built atop of an earlier church structure.[5] The church consists of a single aisle made up of two groin-vaulted bays, with a projecting semi-circular apse preceded by a barrel-vaulted presbytery. Internally, the building measures 22.9 meters (75 ft) by 8.9 meters (29 ft), including the apse. It has architectural and constructional similarities with the former Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist (currently the Great Mosque of Gaza).[5]
The church has three entrances. The western entrance has a portico with three marble columns supporting two pointed arches.[10] The bases of the marbles date from the Crusader era.[11] The church can also be entered from its façade or from a side door which opens onto a modern gallery, equipped with stairs for going down to the level of the pavement.[9] Its colossal walls are supported by horizontal marble and granite columns and pilasters.[2]
Israel-Gaza conflict
In the 2014 Gaza War, around 2,000 Palestinians slept in the church during Israeli bombings.[12][13] The church was again used as refuge during the 2023-24 Israel–Hamas war, resulting in the damage of two halls.[14] In October 2023, it was the site of the Church of Saint Porphyrius airstrike,[15][16][17] which hit two halls providing shelter to Gazan Palestinian Muslims and Christians, causing the collapse of at least one building,[18][19] and killed between 16–18 civilians.[20]
See also
- Holy Family Church, Gaza, Latin Catholic church of Gaza City
- Gaza Baptist Church, Protestant church of Gaza City
References
- ^ Makhoul, Talia Lakritz, Reem. "Photos show Gaza's Church of Saint Porphyrius, one of the oldest churches in the world, after the complex was damaged by Israeli airstrikes". Business Insider. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c Dumper, 2007, p. 156.
- ^ Cohen and Lewis, 1978, p. 119
- ^ News Desk (20 October 2023). "WORLD'S THIRD-OLDEST CHURCH DAMAGED IN DEADLY GAZA ROCKET STRIKE". Artforum. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Pringle, 1993, p. 216
- ^ "St. Porphyrius the Bishop of Gaza. Commemorated on February 26". OrthoChristian.Com. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Chrysopoulos, Philip (30 October 2023). "Saint Porphyrius: The Bishop Who Brought Christianity to Gaza". Greek Reporter.
- ^ "Saint Porphyrios of Gaza and the World of Late Antiquity". Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ a b Gaza – (Gaza, al -'Azzah) Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Studium Biblicum Franciscanum – Jerusalem. 19 December 2000.
- ^ a b Travel in Gaza Archived 23 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine MidEastTravelling.
- ^ Meyer, 1907, p.111
- ^ "Greek Orthodox church in Gaza shelters Muslims fleeing war". Reuters. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ "Israel-Gaza conflict: Greek Orthodox church of St Porphyrios becomes a". The Independent. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ "'War knows no religion': Gaza's oldest church shelters Muslims, Christians". Al Jazeera. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "Orthodox church says it was hit by Israeli air strike in Gaza". Reuters. 20 October 2023.
- ^ "'Dozens of Palestinian feared dead after Orthodox Church Complex in Gaza targeted'". Roya News. 19 October 2023.
- ^ "'Blast Goes Off at Orthodox Church Campus in Gaza'". Wall Street Journal. 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Historic church sheltering civilians struck in deadly Gaza City blast". The Washington Post. 20 October 2023.
- ^ "Greek Orthodox church building collapses in Gaza due to 'Israeli airstrikes'". Roya News. 19 October 2023.
- ^ "'Caritas Mourns Colleagues Death in Attack in Gaza". Caritas Internationalis. 20 October 2023.
Bibliography
- Clermont-Ganneau, C. S. (1896). [ARP] Archaeological Researches in Palestine 1873-1874, translated from the French by J. McFarlane. Vol. 2. London: Palestine Exploration Fund. (pp. 381-3
- Cohen, Amnon; Lewis, B. (1978). Population and Revenue in the Towns of Palestine in the Sixteenth Century. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-09375-X.
- Dumper, Michael; Abu-Lughod, J. (2007). Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-57607-919-5.
- Meyer, Martin Abraham (1907). History of the city of Gaza: from the earliest times to the present day. Columbia University Press.
- Pringle, D. (1993). The Churches of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: A-K (excluding Acre and Jerusalem). Vol. I. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-39036-2.
External links
Media related to Saint Porphyrius Church (Gaza City) at Wikimedia Commons
Religious sites under the Palestinian Authority | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem Governorate |  | |
| Hebron Governorate | ||
| Jenin Governorate | ||
| Jericho Governorate | ||
| Jerusalem Governorate | ||
| Nablus Governorate | ||
| Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate | ||
| Salfit Governorate | ||
| Tulkarm Governorate | ||
| Gaza Governorate | ||
† Access to the site is controlled by Israel. | ||