The Basilica of Christmas in Bethlehem, the Monastery of the Cross, Ein Kerem, the Convent of St. John the Baptist

Overview

Bethlehem is the city of the Nativity of Jesus Christ. In Bethlehem, the most ancient church of the Holy Land is visited, preserved without destruction from the moment of construction – the Basilica of the Nativity, built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the VI century. Also during the tour we will get acquainted with the ancient Orthodox monastery of the Cross in the valley of the Cross in the western part of modern Jerusalem. In the interests of the monastery there was a deep history, from the Byzantine period to our days. The famous Georgian writer Shota Rustaveli lived within his walls. The interiors of the monastery housed an exposition of the church museum of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

In the southern part of Jerusalem is the village of Ein Kerem in Jerusalem, where John the Baptist was born. The Catholic Monastery of the Nativity preserves the memory of this place. Also in the village there is a source of the Virgin Mary.

The excursion begins at the place of accommodation of the tourists in Jerusalem (the address and time of the excursion beginning is indicated in advance by the guide). On the tour you need to have comfortable shoes, drinking water and a hat from the sun. Clothes should be like when visiting temples (men should not visit temples in shorts, women should have clothes with closed shoulders, do not have a neckline, short skirts and shorts, you can wear trousers). To cross the border post between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, tourists need to have a passport with them.