Mount of Olives in Jerusalem: the main shrines and attractions

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

The Mount of Olives in Israel is an object whose importance for world culture is very difficult to overestimate. This monument of history and architecture is also a sacred place for representatives of several religions at once.

Mount of Olives (Israel) and its geography

In terms of orography, this is not even a mountain, but a range of hills, stretching along the northeastern, eastern and southeastern tip of Jerusalem. It consists of three separate peaks, the highest of which reaches an absolute height of 826 meters.

On the south side of the ridge borders the Mountain of chagrin (or death). The Mount of Olives is separated from the city itself by the Kidron Valley. Below, on the western slopes, is a place called Gethsemane. It was here, according to the scriptures, that Jesus Christ prayed before his arrest.

These hills have been planted with olive trees since ancient times, in connection with which the mountain received its second name - Olive. The eight oldest olive trees still grow within the Garden of Gethsemane today.

The sacred meaning of the mountain

The Mount of Olives is revered by both Jews and Christians of different rites. In Judaism, it is the place where David worshiped God. It is with the Mount of Olives that the end of the world is connected by the Jewish prophet Ezekiel.

In Christianity, the Mount of Olives is considered the place of the last prayer of Christ before his arrest. Here he ascended to heaven.

Mentioned in sacred texts and the Garden of Gethsemane. In particular, the Gospel says that it was here that Jesus often came with his disciples to pray. Here he was betrayed by one of them - Judas.

Mount of Olives (Jerusalem): Top Attractions

A huge number of architectural monuments, sacred places and sights are concentrated on the slopes and three peaks of the ridge. Among them:

• old Jewish cemetery;
• Tomb of the Virgin Mary;
• cave of the Prophets;
• Temple of all nations;
• Catholic Church Our Father;
• Ascension Monastery;
• Church of Mary Magdalene;
• The Garden of Gethsemane and others.

Ancient Jewish cemetery

If you look at the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem, you will immediately notice a huge number of tombstones that literally dot its western slopes. All these are the graves of an ancient Jewish cemetery. There are at least 150 thousand of them here!

It is here, according to the book of the prophet Zechariah, that the resurrection of the dead will begin at the end of the days of our world. The so-called Cave of the Prophets is located on the mountain, in which there are 36 burial niches. Among them is the tomb of the prophet Zechariah.

The scientists date the first burials on the Mount of Olives back to the 9th-10th centuries BC. Now the Arab residential quarter of Silwan is located on this place. Later, the cemetery began to expand and occupied the slopes of the ridge. In the middle of the 20th century, when the Mount of Olives belonged to Jordan, many graves and tombstones were destroyed, devastated or desecrated.

Tomb of the Virgin Mary

Tomb of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Virgin Mary) is one of the most important Christian shrines. It is located in Gethsemane, above it the cave church of the Assumption of the Virgin was built. Representatives of several faiths have access to services in this temple.

It is here, according to the sacred texts of the apostles, that the Virgin Mary, elevated by the Christian church to the rank of saints, is buried.

The temple is underground. Entering it, the pilgrim finds himself on a wide staircase, consisting of 48 steps. The coffin of the Virgin Mary is located in a small chapel - a room measuring 2 by 2 meters. The total length of the underground church is 34 meters, and the width is only 6. Immediately behind the chapel, in a pink marble icon case, there is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which is highly revered by the Orthodox.

Muslims also visit the underground church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, who also venerate the Virgin Mary.

Church of all nations

The Basilica of the Agony of the Lord, or the Church of All Nations, is perhaps the most famous temple on the Mount of Olives. The temple was built in the 1920s on the spot in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed his last prayer in freedom.

The basilica was designed by Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi. The temple was erected with donations from twelve countries of the world. That is why it is decorated with 12 domes.

The Temple of All Nations is Catholic, but members of other faiths may worship at the open altar outside the church.

Church of Mary Magdalene

Another beautiful temple that adorns the slopes of the Mount of Olives is the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene. It was built at the end of the 19th century. Several relics are kept here, in particular the miraculous Hodegetria icon, as well as the relics of Princess Elizabeth Feodorovna and nun Barbara, who were martyred in 1918 at the hands of the Bolsheviks.

The temple, built of white and gray local stone, is a fine example of Russian architecture. The building has seven domes and a small bell tower. In the interiors of the church, tourists and pilgrims are amazed by the most beautiful floor made of colored marble, as well as the iconostasis, decorated with bronze ornaments.

In conclusion…

Thus, the Mount of Olives (Olive) in Jerusalem is a sacred area with a huge number of attractions. Every true believer dreams of visiting it, touching the holy relics of ancient temples.