Melkite Networks Across Borders

A distinctive feature of the Melkite Church was its integration into an extensive network of interconnected communities spanning political borders. As Arabic-speaking Christians from the Middle East, they moved easily through the Islamicate world, travelling between monastic centres in the Sinai, the Judean Desert and the mountains around Antioch, as well as urban communities in Damascus, Alexandria and Jerusalem. Melkite physicians moved as easily from the court of the Latin King of Jerusalem to the court of Saladin. At the same time, the Melkites were connected to the Orthodox world in Byzantium, Serbia and Georgia through pilgrims, envoys, travelling monks and merchants. In this respect, despite their otherwise low profile, they were an important link in the exchange of information, material goods, knowledge and ideas across political and religious boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean region, with this interconnectedness also contributing significantly to the preservation of Melkite communities in the Islamic world.