Bethlehem is one of the most ancient cities in the world with many cultural and political eras. It was here, led by a guiding star, that the Magi came to worship and present gifts to the newborn Messiah - Jesus Christ. Today the city attracts not only pilgrims, but also tourists from all over the world.
Cradle of Christianity
Once in Bethlehem, any wanderer, first of all, hastens to visit one of the main shrines of all Orthodox and Catholics - the Cave of the Nativity. Here, on the marble floor, a silver star, as a symbol of the legendary luminary, marks the place where Christ began his earthly journey.
The Holy Nativity, as this historical place is also called, reconciles Christians of different currents: in the narrow room of the underground church, representatives of traditional Orthodoxy, and the ministers of the Armenian Church, and the wards of the Pope hold their liturgies.
Above the sacred grotto is the Basilica of the Nativity of Christ, founded by the Byzantine emperor Constantine the Great at the beginning of the fourth century. Since then, services in this church, which survived the fire and massacres of the Crusades, practically did not stop; it is an invariable place of pilgrimage for believers and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
All roads lead … to Bethlehem
It is difficult to imagine a place where Christians and Muslims peacefully coexist. Nevertheless, the Basilica of the Nativity of Christ is surrounded by the shrines of both religions.
The Omar Mosque is an active building of the nineteenth century, dedicated to the Caliph, who, having taken possession of the surrounding lands in the 7th century, pledged to preserve Christian shrines and not endanger their servants.
Franciscan Church of St. Catherine is a Roman Catholic shrine dating back to 1982, within the walls of which the Pope celebrates a solemn mass broadcast around the world on Christmas Eve.
The Armenian Monastery of the Holy Trinity is a 12th century building, which houses the famous library of Blessed Jerome - a significant person of both Orthodox and Catholic Christianity.
The Greek Orthodox monastery, of which there are a great many in the Holy Land, was added in the 6th century to the Basilica from the southeast side.
In addition to the holy places, there are many other attractions in Bethlehem. Tourists are interested in the monument in the form of a chain, the links of which form the number "2000" - it was erected in honor of the two thousandth anniversary of the Nativity of Christ.
A little outside the city, you can get acquainted with the Herodion fortress, built by the infanticide king even before the birth of Christ, where, according to legend, Herod was buried. Also of interest are the Solomon Ponds in the suburbs of Bethlehem, which were an important element of the water supply system in Jerusalem.
