The Mariamiya Cathedral stands on the same site as one of the earliest churches in Damascus.

For in the 1st century, a small chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary stood in its place.

During the Byzantine Period, a huge cathedral was built around the original chapel.

However, this Byzantine cathedral sustained heavy damage during the Events of 1860 and was subsequently rebuilt to what it is today.

The Mariamiya Cathedral is the Seat of the Roman Orthodox Church in the Orient, which is the largest Christian denomination in the Levant.