Fresco of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

[Mary Naeem]

Fresco of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

Fresco of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Fresco of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is presented in half of the dome in the western side of the first choir which has been moved now in the museum next to the church. This image represents the pass away of the Virgin Mary and the ascension of her body to heaven.

This scene was not usually represented in icons of early Christianity, and became popular only in the eighth century. There is a difference between the representation of this scene in the Coptic Church and in the Syrian Church. St. Mary is presented in the Egyptian drawings lying and her head is to the right. While in other drawings her head is facing to the left.

Also another significant difference in St. Mary’s image at El Syrian Monastery is the appearance of 2 angels holding fans. This scene representing the Virgin Mary, lying in her bed at the time of her pass away is presented in front of the western temple, named after St. Diameter The icon of the pass away of Virgin Mary is full of small yellow circles dotted in red. You’ll also find two lines black and grey splitting the image into two halves, representing the earth and the sky. The lower portion has a clear green background presenting the earth while the upper portion has a blue background filled with stars presenting the sky.

The drawing is a sequence of three events in one subject “The ascension of the body of the Virgin Mary after her pass away”, the three events are: 1. The pass away of the Virgin Mary 2. Jesus Christ receiving the spirit of St. Mary 3. The ascension of St. Mary’s body to heaven In the middle, we find St. Mary sleeping in a bed. This bed is covered in brown colored curtains with parallel folding’s, decorated with Lotus and green, red & blue colors.

A pillow appears on the bed aside to St. Mary’s head as well as the hallo and she is lying on a red pillow and is wearing a lose blue dress with circled folding is wrapped in purple. Her hands facing each other in the shape of a cross on her chest. Behind the middle of the bed stands Jesus Christ.

His hair split in half from the middle with hair layers dropping on both sides of his face, alike the angel who appeared during Annunciation, we would discuss this in a later stage. Jesus Christ had a short beard and mustache and his head was surrounded by hallo in the image of a cross. Jesus was dressed in a dark red robe with loos blue sleeves with golden strips at the end.
Jesus was holding in his hands the spirit of St. Mary presented in the form of a new born baby wrapped in a white dress, over the head of Jesus Christ was written his name in the Syrian language. On each side of Christ stands an angel in a circle, each holding a fan rite, known as the Sharobiem., dressed in a robe and pink coat, in their hands are golden sticks. The upper section of the dome is colored in blue representing the sky with stars in the form of flowers.

At the very top of the dome, we find a large hallo in the form of a lotus, and a heavenly vehicle carried by two winged angels facing outside. The right angel has a beard. Evelen White described the human being image inside the hallo to be Jesus Christ ascending to heaven after the departure and rise of the Virgin Mary. However, others say it is probably the rise of Virgin Mary after her death.
In the lower portion of the image, we find the twelve disciplines standing aside to St. Mary, 6 on the right side and 6 on the left side, as witnesses to the departure and rise of St. Mary’s full body to heaven. They are dressed the same cloth consisting of a Tunic, coat and sandals all of the same cheerful colors.
They are directing their attention to the Blessed Virgin Mary, standing aside to St. Mary’s head is St. Peter the Apostle while St. John the Beloved is kneeling at her feet, and behind them, the remaining Apostles on each side. St. Peter the Apostle was recognized by his white beard, his twisted hair and his red colored coat and pink Tunic, and both his hands are on his chest along his neck and beard, he was also recognized by being the eldest of all the right side standing disciples, the remaining all have black colored hair and are standing in slightly different positions.

While the disciples standing on the left side, the first has a wide front and black hair, kneeling at St. Mary’s feet and kissing it and this is St. John the Beloved, dressed in a yellow tunic with blue bracelets. Aside to him stands an old person with long white hair and a white beard, and then the remaining disciples stand all in black hair.

This was the description of St. Mary’s icon on half the northern dome, from the tenth century, which is a combination of the Coptic and Syrian art. The only letters represented in this image was the name of Jesus Christ on the top of the image.