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(27 Km north of Damascus): Sednaya is more notable as a place of religious pilgrimage than for any outstanding remains. In fact, few reminders of its origins can be distilled from centuries of legends. The chapel and convent is perched on an outcrop of rock, looking rather like a castle from some angles. Legends relate that the monastery was founded by Justinian (r 527-65). The miracles associated with the image of the Virgin brought the chapel wide fame, particularly during and after the Middle Ages. It became the most famous centre of pilgrimage in the East, after Jerusalem. The Crusaders were fascinated by the legends of "Notre Dame de Sardeneye" associated with the painting of the Virgin said to have been executed by St Luke the Evangelist. Even in times of open hostility between the Franks in Jerusalem and the Muslims of Damascus, Christian's pilgrims reached Sednaya.
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Photo Gallery
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