Church of the Belt of St. Mary Um al-Zunnar
Description:
The Temple of the Belt of the Virgin (Um al-Zunnar) is based on the site of a chapel founded in 59. Previously it was an ordinary Christian church, but during the reconstruction in 1953 under the altar was found a metal case with a piece of wool cloth embroidered in gold, 59 centimeters long. It is believed that this belt of the Virgin Mary, given by her to the Apostle Thomas and preserved by him. Research confirms the age of the relic.
It is possible that the belt was hidden by Christians during the storming of Homs in 636 by the soldiers of Khalid ibn al-Walid. Soon after the discovery of the shrine, Um al-Zunnar Church became a place of pilgrimage for Christians from all over the world. The belt is exhibited in a silver ark in the form of a flower and is considered miraculous - there are legends about the miraculous healing of those who worshipped the belt, a museum of crutches and canes left by the healed was formed at the church.
During the street fighting in early 2012, the Church of the Belt of the Virgin was seriously damaged - part of the roof and the dome were destroyed.