Church of Saint Peter
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2013) |
Church of Saint Peter | |
---|---|
St. Pierre Church | |
Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch | |
Leadership | Ignatius Aphrem II
Apostles as per tradition |
Specifications | |
Width | 9.5 m (31 ft.) |
Height (max) | 7 m (23 ft.) |
The Church of
This cave is one of
History
There is no reliable data to date the construction of the church though it is believed that
The church has been also called St. John's grotto, possibly because of
Crusaders of the
Atop the stone altar in the middle of the church is a stonework platform placed in memory of Saint Peter's Platform Holiday, which was celebrated every 21 February in Antakya. A marble statue of Saint Peter was placed above the altar in 1932.
The garden of the church has been used as a cemetery for hundreds of years. Graves and burials have also been located inside the church, especially around the altar. In the vicinity was also the relics of St Ignatius, the first bishop of Antioch.[1]
The church is a museum today, but it is possible to perform worship services inside the church under the inspection of the Museum Management by obtaining a permit from the Office of the Provincial Governor. The church underwent restoration in 2013, with plans including repairs on the rock, construction of a service building and attempts to uncover fourth to fifth-century mosaics from the church’s earliest period.[6]
Images
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Churchyard
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Church interior
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Altar
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St Peter's Cave Church Facade
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St Peter's Cave Church Facade
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St Peter's Cave Church Interior
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St Peter's Cave Church Altar area
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St Peter's Cave Church Facade
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St Peter's Cave Church Entrance tunnel
See also
- Oldest churches in the world
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-000-02508-8. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ISBN 978-1-317-54041-0. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ "World's first cave Church in Hatay, Turkiye still intact after major quakes". middleeastmonitor. 2023-02-20. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ Agency, Anadolu (2023-02-21). "World's 1st cave church located in Hatay survives after earthquake". dailysabah. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
- ^ Clyde E. Fant, Mitchell Glenn Reddish, A guide to biblical sites in Greece and Turkey (Oxford University Press US, 2003), pg. 149
- ^ Wiener, Noah (8 April 2013). "Restoring the Ancient Cave Church of St. Peter". Biblical Archaeology. Biblical Archaeology Society. Retrieved 21 January 2023.