Holy Sites Around Mount of Olives

For millennia before the birth of Jesus, the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem was a sacred place. It is referred to in the Old Testament and during the life of Jesus, it played a pivotal role.

Jesus walked its paths and often came here to teach, to pray and to meditate. As a result, the summits, slopes and valleys are speckled with glistening spires and shiny domes. The churches around Mount of Olives are all built atop special sites and caves to venerate inspirational events from the life of Jesus – especially the last day of Christ.

In the bible, we learn that Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives and taught. The Church of the Paternoster celebrates the time when Jesus taught the “Lord’s Prayer” to his disciples. The Sanctuary of Dominus Flevit venerates Christ weeping when he foresees the destruction of Jerusalem.

Scripture tells us that Christ spent his last few hours on earth in prayer on Mount of Olives. The Church of All Nations and Gardens of Gethsemane commemorate this precious moment.

When Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, he left an imprint of his feet on earth. The Chapel of Christ’s Ascension preserved the sacred footprint. And when Jesus rose up and flew to heaven, Mary Magdalene watched. The Russian Church of Mary Magdalene is built where she stood and witnessed the miracle.