St. Mary Al-Tahira, Qaraqosh

Why Go

A church built, desecrated, and reclaimed

Come to stand in a monumental church built through years of communal effort by the Syriac Catholic community of Qaraqosh, and to encounter a living congregation that has returned to worship after displacement and destruction. This is not fundamentally a church defined by the damage it suffered; it is a living Syriac Catholic landmark chosen by Pope Francis to meet the Christians of Qaraqosh.

Built, desecrated, reclaimed

The modern Al-Tahira church, part of a compound that also includes an older church, was built beginning in 1932 through major participation from the local community, and was consecrated in 1948. Mesopotamia Heritage describes it as the largest Syriac Catholic church in the Middle East. During the occupation of Qaraqosh, the church was desecrated and damaged; Mesopotamia Heritage reports it was used for weapons training. The community returned, and the church recovered its role as an important spiritual and community center.

On 7 March 2021, Pope Francis visited and gathered with the Christians of Qaraqosh at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, speaking of destruction, rebuilding, hope, and the diversity of the region.

A large modern Syriac Catholic church with a prominent dome and a bell tower and entrance composition, within a compound that holds both an older church and the much larger modern Al-Tahira. Its remarkable scale is part of what makes it one of Qaraqosh's defining Christian landmarks.