Sayidat Al Najat Cathedral

Sayidat Al Najat Cathedral is a Syriac Catholic church located in the heart of Baghdad, on the Rusafa side of the city. It is considered one of the largest churches in the capital. The church was originally built in 1952 as a modest prayer hall, before the full cathedral was constructed and inaugurated on March 17, 1968, during the time of Bishop Yohanna Beikhos, a prominent figure in the history of the Chaldean Church in Iraq.

The building was designed by the Polish architect Kafka, with assistance from the Romaya Engineering Office for the technical drawings. Construction was carried out by two Iraqi businessmen, Victor Tabouni and Adnan Sajid.

Architecturally, the cathedral is designed to resemble a boat, with the cross forming the sail’s mast, shaped like an arch symbolizing the Gospel. The design represents the boat carrying the faithful, as in the story of Jesus and his disciples.

In 2004, the church was targeted by a car bomb attack, injuring at least 50 people.

The massacre of Sayidat Al Najat Cathedral occurred on Sunday, October 31, 2010, when gunmen from Al-Qaeda in Iraq (later known as ISIS) launched a brutal attack on the church during Sunday Mass, killing more than 50 people, including priests and worshippers, and injuring dozens.

During the attack, around 120 people, mostly Christian families, were inside the church. Five armed militants entered the building with guns, grenades, and suicide vests, taking the congregation hostage and shooting indiscriminately. The attackers demanded the release of Al-Qaeda prisoners in Iraq and Egypt.

After several hours of siege, Iraqi security forces, supported by U.S. troops, stormed the church to rescue the hostages. During the raid, the attackers detonated their explosives, resulting in many casualties among both hostages and security personnel.

The church was restored and reopened years later. It became the first stop of Pope Francis’s historic visit to Iraq in March 2021, where he delivered a moving message of peace and religious tolerance, reaffirming the Vatican’s support for Christians in Iraq.

Today, Sayidat Al Najat stands as a symbol of resilience and faith, where Masses are still held and it continues to serve the Christian community in Baghdad despite its tragic past.