The Catholic Church of the Annunciation - Nazareth, Israel
Posted by: 
ashberry
N 32° 42.127 E 035° 17.861
36S E 715382 N 3620598
The Catholic Church of the Annunciation with its towering cupola is one of the biggest, most magnificent churches in the Middle East today.
Waymark Code: WM14FQY
Location: Israel
Date Posted: 06/30/2021
Views: 2
The Catholic Church of the Annunciation with its towering cupola is one of the biggest, most magnificent churches in the Middle East today.The church has two stories as well as the preservation of the holy cave in the center of the lower floor. In a colonnade around this Basilica, on the south and west walls, there is a gallery with 43 national mosaics. The mosaics represent some of the most important Marian devotions in different countries, each reflecting the national motives of the donor country.
Especially relevant, it is believed that the first shrine was built in the middle of the 4th century in the cave in which Mary had lived and later was enlarged by Emperor Constantine I. The second huge church was built over the ruins of the Byzantine era church during the Crusades. In 1260, Baybars and his Mamluk army destroyed the church. Emir Fakr ad-Din granted the Franciscans permission to return in 1620, at which time they constructed a small structure to enclose the holy grotto that is venerated as the house of Mary. In 1730, Dahir al-Umar permitted construction of a new church. This church was completely demolished in 1954 to allow for the construction of a new basilica.
The new basilica was designed by the Italian architect Giovanni Muzio, and built by the Israeli building firm Solel Boneh during the years 1960–1969. The Chief Engineer at this project was Ing. Shlomo Lopatin (Aluf) who was dedicated to the Basilica building process for more than 10 years, and it was indeed his life-project. It is built in a style sometimes characterised as Italian Brutalism.
Above the altar in front of the cave is a large octagonal opening situated exactly under the cupola of the church.The modern cupola is an inverted lily, opening its petals to the shrine below. The Cupola is surmounted by a lantern symbolising the Light of the World. On the cream limestone façade are reliefs of Mary, Gabriel and the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Above them is a bronze statue of Jesus.
The "Official Tourism" URL link to the attraction: [Web Link]
The attraction’s own URL: [Web Link]
Hours of Operation:
Open Hours:
Winter – Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Summer – Saturday to Sunday, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Admission Prices:
free
Approximate amount of time needed to fully experience the attraction: Up to 1 hour
Transportation options to the attraction: Personal Vehicle or Public Transportation
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