The church also showcases a section of original mosaic floor, as well as beautifully kept grounds filled with flowers, date palms, grapevines and olive trees. The vaulted ceilings and interior arched stone walls, carrying the calming harmonies of the praying monks, are covered in partially preserved Crusader-era frescos. Like many other churches of great biblical significance, this too was built on an ancient freshwater spring. Photo via ShutterstockĪ Benedictine monastery in Abu Ghosh, an Israeli Arab town 10 kilometers west of Jerusalem, this Basilica-style church was built over the 12 th century Crusader Church of Resurrection, which itself was built over Roman ruins in what is thought to be the biblical city of Emmaus.
It is one of the best preserved Crusader remains in Israel. Mary of the Resurrection Abby in Abu Ghosh. Mary of the Resurrection Abbey, Abu GhoshĬAP The interior of the St.
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Reaching different parts of the site requires climbing a series of pathways and stone stairs.
What to know before visiting: The monastery sits on a steep hillside. John the Baptist grew up, the Catholic monastery and accompanying church were built next to the natural cave turned chapel where John is thought to have once lived.īuilt next to The Spring of the Hermit containing the tomb of Elizabeth, John’s mother, and enjoying a view of the stunning Soreq Valley, this quiet and tranquil retreat complete with water features and viewpoints holds immense meaning for the Christian faithful. John in the Wilderness sits nestled into the green hillside next to Moshav Even Sapir. Just west of Ein Karem, a picturesque Jerusalem neighborhood known for its Christian holy sites, the Monastery of St. What to know before visiting: The church is not an official tourist site but is open to the public. There are fruit treesand a series of restorative pools around natural springs said to have healing powers, in which visitors can take a refreshing dip. Maintained by nuns, the church is part of a small farmstead. It’s not often that you’d think to pack your bathing suit for a visit to a historical church, but then you probably haven’t been to the Church of Saint Mary in Tiberias.Ī beacon of calm and tranquility overlooking the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the church is dedicated to Mary Magdalene and the various legends surrounding her. Try visiting on weekdays, 6:30-7:30am and 3-3:30pm Saturdays at 8am Sundays at 8:30am. Passersby may enter at prayer time, signified by the sounding of a gong. What to know before visiting: This church has restrictive hours to ensure it stays a quiet, spiritual refuge. Inside the Armenian Orthodox Cathedral of St James in the Old City of Jerusalem. The church is also the site of 130 religious paintings magnificent skylights carved stone crosses giant pillars elaborate chandeliers ancient frescos 18 th century blue and white Armenian tiles an 18-meter-tall dome ceiling and a beautifully adorned burial vault where the Virgin Mary is said to have laid the head of the Apostle St. One of Israel’s only fully intact Crusader-era churches, it houses an astonishing number of gilded alters and chapels, each with palpable ties to history, such as one that houses a cross owned by Constantine the Great’s mother Helena. James: Jesus’ apostle and Jesus’ relative who was Jerusalem’s first head bishop.
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The Armenian Orthodox church where Kim Kardashian and Kanye West had daughter North baptized on the family’s reality TV show, this 12 th century walled-in marvel on a large chunk of the Old City’s coveted real estate was established in honor of two different St. Tucked away in the less treaded Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City is St.
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