- District: Al Yarmuk
- Contact telephones: +971 (50) 787-06-12, +971 (55) 760-17-33
- Website: www.rus-church.ae
- Email: info@rus-church.ae
- Date of opening of the church: 13.08.2011.
- Architect: Yu.V. Kirs
The Church of the Apostle Philip, who preached on the Arabian Peninsula in the 1st century, is a Russian temple in the UAE , belongs to the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. He is solemnly beautiful outside, and inside you can see an elegant painting and a unique gilded iconostasis. Here, a special atmosphere of appeasement, joy and reverence, which is difficult to convey in words, one must just see all this magnificence with your own eyes.
History of the temple
The idea to build a temple in this place was born for the first time in April 2004, during the visit of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church. After exactly 3 years, the Arab Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi allocated a plot of land about 2 hectares for the construction of a temple and a cultural and educational center for the Orthodox parish. At the end of April the project of the architect Yuri Vasilievich Kirs was approved, and on September 9, 2007, the first stone was laid in the foundation of the church of St. Philip the Apostle in Sharjah . The construction of the church was much sacrificed by future parishioners and local residents. In June-August 2011, gilded crosses were installed on the domes of the newly built church, and inside the iconostasis was erected and installed well. August 13, 2013, the official opening and the first solemn service in the church of the Apostle Philip in Sharjah took place.
What interesting things can you see in the temple?
Outside, the temple of the Apostle Philip looks very festive and fits perfectly into the surrounding architecture of the city. Delicate cream walls and sky-blue domes with gilded crosses and decorative stars attract attention with simplicity and elegance.
Once inside the church, you will see a gilded iconostasis from a rare Indian teak, also designed by the same architect. Icons for him were written by famous icon painters - Dmitry and Galina Larionov. Nearby there are floor and wall icons in the cottages (all of them are also gilded).
The main church chandelier - good - is a closed octagon, which recalls the ancient Byzantine traditions in the manufacture of temple lamps. They were made good in Moscow at the factory of LLC "Kavida-Master", and mounted already in place under the main temple dome.
Events in the Church of the Apostle Philip in Sharjah
In addition to the regular church services, the Apostle Philip's church hosts cultural and educational activities, including a Christmas tree for children.
There is a cultural and educational center at the church, and there is a Sunday School for children of different ages and even adults, where students are taught the Law of God, Russian (for mixed families and children who do not have the opportunity to study regularly), church sewing and artistic embroidery. Also in the center there is a permanent exposition of paintings telling about the cultural heritage of Orthodoxy in the Persian Gulf region. So, in the gallery on the first floor you can see the exposition of the evangelical plots and get acquainted with the Orthodox holidays - from the Nativity of Christ to the Holy Trinity, and on the second - to learn from religious plots about some landmarks from the history of Russia.
How to get there?
The Russian Orthodox church is located in the Al Yarmuk district of the city of Sharjah in the UAE. In order to visit the church of the Apostle Philip in Sharjah, go here by taxi or bus with an excursion group and a guide.