Brikhta

"The Saint is still called by the residents of Maaloula Brikhta, which is an Aramaic word and means the Blessed, for she used to bestow her blessings to the Pilgrims visiting her tomb, even after her death." Believers who gather round it. It is said: everyone who pays a pilgrimage to her monestery, prays before her tomb and drinks of the water of her rocks would be blessed and all of what he wishes would be granted by God through her meditation. Due to the abundance of the sepulchre wonders and the people's increase of faith towards this sacred sepulchre, some of the people of the Western world countries tried to transport her mortal remains to their country; for she gave them aid during their numerous victories which they begot after obtaining her blessings from her renowned tomb, her superflowing water; how many time she guided them at dangers and perils; but the wish of God prevented such acts and her mortal remains stayed in her place which is a great treasure that the monastery preserved till this day. Saint tekla was called the First Martyr because she was the first Christian woman who was exposed to torture and persecution for the sake of God. She was given the title of: The equal to Messenger or apostles because she carried on preaching, calling and teaching as if she were one of the Twelve Apostles. That is why she deserved to be called: "Saint Tekla" or "Mar Tekla" because the ward Mar is an Aramaic word given as a title to the Saints of man only; but she was awarded this name due to her similarity to apostles through her performance of baptism which they granted to the Christian believers. Maaloula is a Kalamonian Syrian town which lies to the north-east of Damascus- the Capital of Syria, and it is 56 km. away from it. It is surrounded by the Kalamoun Mountains which connect it with the Kalamoun Chain of mountains that the Saint passed through in her journey. Its houses are the only ones in Syria which are built on the rocks going up over each other in the shape of a strange amphitheatre through which roads are nearly scarce except for narrow paths which seem to the on-lookers as beehives. The interior of these houses are not but caves in which the inhabitants take refuge in their stronghold sites. The wooden ancient ladders are still a witness of what if it had seen of bad crucial days. The inhabitants of Maaloula are distinguished with that the Aramaic language that Jesus Christ spoke is still wide-spread and spoken among them. It is their mother-tongue. We still hear some of the words of Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible written in Aramaic utterance. The Nunnery of Saint Tekla in Maaloula is the destination in this area by all religions and sects. It is the mother nunnery which embraces all visitors with humbleness. Those who make vows and pilgrims; we say "pilgrims" because it is one of the sacred places which Christian and Moslems visit before they go for pilgrims to the Holy city Jerusalem to visit the Holy Tomb and the Holy Al-Aksa Mosque. The Nunnery is now an Orthodix Nunnery Institution attached to the Patriarchate Center in Damascus, in which virgin nuns dwell patroned by the chief nun who dedicate themselves for worship, prayers and serve the monastery including reception of the kind visitors of the Holy Sepulchre. Beside the dignity of Saint Tekla, Christians built an altar to perform prayers to God. This was done in the First three Christian Centuries and is still aimed to visit the Saint's tomb "Mar Tekla" used to go up wooden and soil ladders. Since those early days till now it is its present state. In the Nunnery there is a church to perform prayers and devine mass, with a museum that contains different tools that are not used nowdays, ancient copper and clay utensils that are dated to the twelfth Christian Century. The Monastery includes now external buildings for the stay of visitors. These buildings were built in the nineteenth century. Building and renewal are continuous till this day by virtue of the wish of those responsible persons in it, those guardians and the bounty of the beneficient believers and their benevolent contributions. May God recompense them all in his Kingdom in Heaven. This Nunnery is concidered one of the most Holy Christian consecrated places after the Holy Jerusalem that is thronged with visitors who come from all over the world pray and be blessed all over the year. source: http://www.maaloula.net/src/tbrikhta.htm