This is one of the prominent church of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church which is also a Marian Pilgrim Centre. The present structure dates from 1852 under
Bishop Julius Peter. But the site over which the church is built is claimed to have been one of Christian worship since 59 AD. The church once served as the headquarters of the universal church. According to Ross Burns, the church may rest on Byzantine foundations. According to Joseph Nasrallah, the existence of a church dedicated to Mary in Homs is attested as early as 478. The church contains a venerated
Holy Girdle that is supposed to be a section of the belt of
Mary, mother of Jesus. The church was damaged during confrontations between the armed opposition and the security forces in the
2011–2012 Syrian unrest. In 2012, reportedly confrontations caused extensive damage to the exterior of the church. The church was restored by an extensive effort of the faithful and the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in 2014. This is the Syriac church's equivalent of the
Cincture of the Theotokos of the
Greek Orthodox Church and
Girdle of Thomas of the
Catholic Church. ==See also==