The 1,800-sqm complex was constructed on land donated by Sharjah ruler Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi. Located in the Yarmouk area, the complex is the biggest church beyond the border of CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States).
"The St. Philip Apostle Orthodox Church reflects the religious harmony of Sharjah," said Ahmed. A,  an Emirati. “I have read countless reports in the European press arguing against the construction of mosques with minarets but in Sharjah we are tolerant of different faiths and places of worship."
Talks on the complex project began in June 2005 and the Orthodox community received necessary approval from Sharjah ruler in April 2007. Yuri Sidorenko, a Russian businessman took financial responsibility for the building of the church. According to sources, the Parish of St. Philip was established by mutual agreement between the Primates of the Russian Church and the Church of Antioch. The church and the Russian community in Sharjah are served by a cleric of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The golden crosses are blessed by the rector of the Russian parish, Hegumen Alexander Zarkeshev. The crosses and decorative stars covered with golden nitrite-titanic spattering were designed by architect Yuri Krista in Russia and brought to the emirate.