Close to the museum you’ll find five major churches, each aligned to a different denomination.
Immediately west of the museum is the Syrian Catholic Church (Mar Assia al-Hakim), built in 1625 and happy to admit visitors who come knocking.
Next stop is the 19th-century Greek Orthodox Church and further beyond that, on Haret al-Yasmin, is the entrance to the 17th-century Armenian Cathedral of the 40 Martyrs ; if possible, it’s worth visiting on a Sunday to observe the Armenian Mass performed here, which is still pervaded with a sensuous aura of ritual. It starts at 10am and lasts two hours.
North of these three, on Saahat Farhat, are the Maronite Cathedral and a smaller Greek Catholic Church , which date to the 19th century.
