Church of Saint Elian

Homs, Syria

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

The Church of Saint Elian in Homs, Syria, is a Byzantine structure dating to the early fifth century (401 CE), making it among the oldest Christian buildings in the region. Located on Tarafa bin al-Abd Street near the Gate of Palmyra, the church has long served as a pilgrimage destination, particularly during the annual Feast of St. Elian on February 6, which draws worshippers from throughout Syria. The saint, also known in English as Julian, is commemorated here in an Orthodox Christian tradition that has few parallels worldwide—notably a twentieth-century namesake church established in Brownsville, Pennsylvania in 1917.