Dura-Europos, located in Syria, is widely considered to be the oldest church in existence.

Specifically, it’s known as the world’s oldest Christian house church, originally built as a home before being converted into a place of worship.

A house church is a gathering place for religious services held in a private home.

Some historians debate whether Dura-Europos should be considered the oldest church due to its initial purpose as a dwelling.

However, numerous sources, including Guinness World Records, recognize Dura-Europos as the oldest church building.

The church was built between 233 and 256 AD in the city of Dura-Europos, near Salihiyah, Syria.

During the 1920s and 1930s, a team of American and French archaeologists from Yale University and the French Academy of Inscriptions and Letters excavated the area, uncovering thousands of artifacts, including frescoes.

Fresco painting involves applying water-based pigments to freshly laid plaster, often on walls.

The excavation unearthed a synagogue, a Christian building, a Mithraeum, and over 12,000 artifacts now preserved at Yale University.

Among the artifacts at Yale University are paintings considered some of the oldest Christian paintings ever discovered.

One of these paintings, found in the baptistery, consists of three fragments.

Today, the church lies in ruins in an area controlled by ISIS.

Many sources consider the oldest church in the United States to be San Miguel Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The Catholic Church dates back to 1610 and has been reconstructed several times since its inception. It remains operational today.