Church of the Annunciation
The Church of the Annunciation is one of the holiest Christian sites. It is located in Nazareth – the city of Jesus’s birth in Northern Israel. It is believed to have been built on the spot where Jesus’s parents, Joseph and Mary, lived.
The current building is not the first church built on this holy site; this location has housed different churches which have been built and destroyed since the Byzantine era. The Church of the Annunciation, as seen today, was built in 1969. In it, visitors will see remnants of the earlier Crusader, Roman and Franciscan structures. Today, the Church of the Annunciation is almost 60 meters high and houses a stunning Basilica (from which it received its other name – Basilica of the Annunciation) with colorful mosaics donated by different Christian groups from all over the world. The impressive building – which is one of the largest churches in the Middle East – boasts a beautiful marble floor, magnificent dome and two floors capable of holding large congregations of believers. On the bottom level of the Church of the Annunciation, visitors will see Mary’s Well, where the Archangel Gabriel is believed to have told Mary about her impending pregnancy with the Son of God.
There is no admission fee for entrance into the Church of the Annunciation. Visitors are asked to wear modest attire and behave appropriately when visiting this holy site.
Visiting hours in winter: Monday - Saturday, 8am - 5pm; in summer: seven days a week, 8am - 6pm