The name Gethsemane - the area at the foot of the Mount of Olives - comes from the Hebrew word for a press for making olive oil. Olive trees grew in abundance on the Mount of Olives and olive oil was made here.

The tomb of the Mother of God is located in a burial cave, located in an ancient cemetery, which extends in the Kidron Valley and along the slope of the Mount of Olives. Here were buried the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the righteous Joachim and Anna, as well as Saint Joseph the Betrothed. She wished to be buried here herself.

The Dormition of the Mother of God took place, as is believed, in the year 57 A.D. Many miraculous events accompanied him. In a miraculous way, all the apostles were gathered in Jerusalem to the bed of the Blessed Virgin. But the holy Apostle Thomas, according to the providence of God, was absent at the burial. He was able to arrive in Gethsemane only on the third day. The Apostle Thomas grieved so much that he could not say goodbye to the Mother of God, he grieved so much that he did not receive Her last blessing, that a tomb was opened for him. However, the body of the Most Holy Theotokos was no longer in her, for the Lord raised Her up to the heavenly abodes. And only a bouquet of fresh flowers remained on the granite bed, and fragrance was poured everywhere. Comforting the Apostle Thomas, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to him in heavenly glory and left her belt as a gift and blessing, which, according to legend, fell on a stone, which is now in the Gethsemane Monastery of St. Mary Magdalene.

Already in the 4th century, a temple was erected over the tomb of the Mother of God, which had the shape of a cross in plan. This church was badly damaged during the Persian invasion, was rebuilt by the crusaders, then again destroyed by the Muslims. The current temple has retained the original cruciform plan. Entering it, we go down deep down. Approximately in the middle of the stairs in the niche on the right are the tombs of the righteous Joachim and Anna, and on the left - the righteous Joseph the Betrothed. Going down to the temple, on the right we see a small chapel built on the burial site of the Mother of God. Inside the chapel is a stone bed on which the body of the Most Holy Theotokos rested. Behind the chapel is another shrine of Gethsemane - the miraculous Jerusalem icon of the Mother of God, painted by a Russian nun of the Gornensky monastery. The temple is currently owned by Orthodox and Armenians.

"Rejoice, O Joyful One, who does not leave us in the Dormition!"
Among the cypresses and olive trees on the slope of the Mount of Olives, a five-domed temple stands out, built in a characteristic Russian style. This temple, dedicated to St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, was built here by the Russian Emperor Alexander III with his brothers in memory of their mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Emperor Alexander II, whose heavenly patroness was St. Mary Magdalene. The plot for construction was purchased at the expense of the Imperial family. The consecration of the temple took place on the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on October 1 (14), 1888. The celebrations were attended by Grand Duke Sergiy Alexandrovich (who headed the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society) with his wife, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. This pilgrimage made the deepest impression on the Grand Duchess. "How I would like to be buried here," she said then.

Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, after the murder of her husband by a terrorist, withdrew from the world and set up the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent of Mercy in Moscow. "We live so often for ourselves that we become short-sighted and pass by other people's sorrows, not understanding that sharing our grief is to reduce it, and sharing our joy is to increase it. Let's open our souls so that the Divine sun of mercy warms them," - said the Grand Duchess.

In 1918, the Great Mother - as she was called in Russia for her great love for people and selfless service to the cause of mercy - was arrested by the Bolsheviks and, together with her faithful cell-attendant, nun Varvara, was martyred in Alapaevsk, in the Urals. On July 18, 1918, the venerable martyrs Elizabeth and Barbara were thrown alive into an old mine. After that, the mine was bombarded with grenades. Together with them were imprisoned and tortured Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich with his faithful assistant Fyodor Semenovich Remez, who voluntarily followed him into exile, the young Prince Vladimir Pavlovich Paley and the three sons of Grand Duke Konstantin (K.R.) - Grand Dukes John, Konstantin and Igor. The martyrs did not die immediately, they died in torment from hunger, thirst and wounds. For several days, the surrounding inhabitants heard the singing of the Cherubim from the mine. When Alapaevsk was occupied by the White Army, the bodies of the martyrs were removed from the mine. Elizaveta Fedorovna fell on a ledge, which was at a depth of 15 meters. Next to her fell Grand Duke John, whose head was bandaged by her apostle. The body of the Great Mother was found completely incorruptible, the fingers of her right hand were folded for the sign of the cross. “I feel unworthy of the boundless love of God and the love that surrounded me in Russia ... That even moments of sorrow are sanctified by such consolation from above ... that I can say one thing: “Glory to God for everything,” she said.

Retreating from the Urals, units of the White Army took the bodies of the Alapaevsky martyrs to Chita, then to China. The bodies of the venerable martyrs Grand Duchess Elizabeth and nun Varvara were transported to Jerusalem in 1921 and were buried in the crypt of the Gethsemane church of St. Mary Magdalene. In 1981, the Alapaevsk martyrs were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. Then the relics of the martyrs were solemnly transferred to the church of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene. In 1992, the venerable martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth and nun Varvara were glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church. Their memorial day is celebrated on July 18. The relics of the Grand Duchess rest in a marble reliquary to the right of the altar, and the relics of nun Varvara rest in the same reliquary to the left. “Now it is difficult to find the truth on earth, flooded more and more by sinful waves, in order not to be disappointed in life, we must look for the truth in heaven, where it has gone from us” (Grand Duchess Elizabeth).

The monastery at the Church of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene arose in the 30s of the 20th century. It was founded by the sisters of the Bethany Women's Community, headed by Mother Superior Mary (Robinson). More about this community is told in connection with Bethany.

In the temple near the salt on the right is miraculous image of the Mother of God Hodegetria of Gethsemane. Metropolitan Elijah (Karam) of the Lebanese Mountains presented this icon to the first abbess of Mary in 1939, explaining that such was the will of the Queen of Heaven. Later, he told that the Holy Great Martyrs Catherine and Barbara appeared to him three times and said that the Most Holy Mother of God asks to give Her holy icon to Abbess Mary in Palestine and that she should remain there. Metropolitan Elijah gave along with the icon a certificate stating that the image was transferred to the property of the Gethsemane monastery and that this icon was called Hodegetria, Burning Bush, Healer, Helper. In Lebanon, the icon became famous for many miracles. During the fire, when the whole village and the church in which the icon was located burned down, the fire did not touch only the Holy Gifts and this image.

The icon was completely black, darkened from time to time, it was almost impossible to make out either the image or the colors on it. The image arrived in Gethsemane on Holy Week. Immediately a prayer service was served before him, during which the mortally ill priest of the monastery was healed (he had stomach cancer, the priest suffered greatly and was not sure that he would live until Easter). And the next day, the icon was miraculously renewed, its colors brightened and the image became pure and clear. Numerous healings began to flow from the icon. And once, during the reading of the Akathist, tears flowed from the eyes of the Most Pure One, which was witnessed by many.

On the territory of the monastery there are several revered holy places. This is the stone on which the belt of the Mother of God fell, thrown by Her as a consolation to the Apostle Thomas, who was late for Her burial. The staircase, which is part of the ancient road through the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem, along which, obviously, the Savior walked with his disciples and along which He made His solemn Entry into Jerusalem before the suffering on the Cross. The cave in which the apostles rested during the Gethsemane prayer of the Savior and in which, perhaps, the Lord Himself and His disciples spent the night more than once, since He liked to retire to Gethsemane for a night's rest.

The site of the stoning of the first martyr Archdeacon Stefan
Saint Archdeacon Stephen was the first to accept martyrdom for Christ. In the Kidron Valley, near Gethsemane, there is a place where, according to legend, the first martyr was stoned. In the 5th century, an Orthodox basilica was erected here. The modern Greek temple was built in the 20th century. The relics of the holy apostle were found in 415 and soon transferred to Constantinople.

Eleon. Place of the Ascension of the Lord

Mount of Olives - in Russian olive, - got its name from the many olive trees growing on it.

On the top of the Mount of Olives is the place from where the Savior ascended to Heaven on the fortieth day after the Resurrection. This is a place of witness that the Lord is always with us, that His blessing is always in the Church and keeps it. Christ ascended with outstretched hands in blessing and with the words: "I am with you all the days until the end of time"(Matthew 28:20).

In 387, a large octagonal temple with an open dome was built here so that the worshipers could see the sky above them, where the Lord ascended. This temple was destroyed by the Persians, after which it was rebuilt on a smaller scale. In 1187 the Christian temple was turned into a mosque and rebuilt. In particular, the dome was closed. Now there is a small chapel, inside of which there is a stone, on which, according to legend, at the time of the Ascension, the imprint of the Savior's foot was left. Until now, this place belongs to Muslims, who even charge an entrance fee. Christian worship is allowed here only once a year - on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord.

"Having said this, He ascended before their eyes, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. And when they looked at the sky, at the time of His ascension, suddenly two men in white clothes appeared to them and said: Men of Galilee! Why are you standing and looking at heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet."(Acts 1:9-12).

Eleon. Little Galilee

The area on one of the peaks of the Mount of Olives (on the left, when viewed from the side of the old city at the Mount of Olives) is called Little Galilee, because the inhabitants of Galilee stopped there when they came to Jerusalem for the holidays. It was here that the Savior appeared to the disciples several times after the Resurrection. Now in the Lesser Galilee there is a Greek Orthodox church and the summer residence of the Jerusalem Patriarch.

On the site of one of the appearances to the apostles of the Risen Savior, a chapel was built in the garden (this phenomenon is described in the sixth Sunday Gospel). In it, behind the throne, there are fragments of 2 pillars erected in ancient times on the site of the Ascension of the Lord in memory of two angels who appeared to the apostles immediately after the Ascension. These pillars were transferred to the Lesser Galilee, when the place of the Ascension of Christ began to belong to the Muslims. In a large two-story church on the first floor under the altar there is another place for the appearance of the Resurrected Savior (a phenomenon described in the first Sunday Gospel), and in the upper church there is a large Cross, which before the fire of 1808 stood on Golgotha ​​in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Then a miracle happened: when the fire reached this Cross, the image of the Savior was absolutely not affected, the fire did not cause him any harm. There are many Russian icons in the temple. Also, in this large temple is the tomb of the Jerusalem patriarchs.

At the end of the alley leading to the south, there is a small temple erected on the spot where the Most Pure Mother of God prayed after the Ascension of the Son and where the archangel Gabriel, with a paradise branch in his hands, announced to Her about the upcoming Assumption. Under the throne of this church is a stone on which the Most Holy Theotokos stood. There is no iconostasis in this temple. The holy myrrh-bearing Susanna was buried in this church. And on the street on the left is the grave of the Monks Theogen and Ilarius.

Hegumen Seraphim (Kuznetsov) is buried behind this temple - the rector of the Serafimo-Alekseevsky skete of the Belogorsk St. Nicholas Monastery, who accompanied the bodies of the Alapaevsky martyrs to Chita, and then to China. He then transported the relics of the Holy Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizabeth and the nun Barbara to Jerusalem. Patriarch Damian of Jerusalem allocated a piece of land to Abbot Seraphim, where he built a cell for himself and lived in it for the rest of his life.

Eleon. Spaso-Voznesensky Convent

This monastery is located on the very top of the Mount of Olives near the site of the Ascension of the Lord. The site on which the monastery is located was acquired in the 1870s by Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin). Initially, it was planned to build a male monastery here, but this plan was not realized, and at the beginning of the 20th century a female monastic community was formed on the Mount of Olives. Currently, the monastery is under the jurisdiction of the Russian Church Abroad.

The main temple of the monastery is the Spaso-Ascension Cathedral. To the right of the entrance to the temple, a stone is venerated from the place where, according to legend, the Mother of God stood during the Ascension of Christ. In the cathedral, to the right of the altar, near the salt, there are reliquaries with the relics of many saints and two venerated icons of the Mother of God: the miraculous icon of the Olivet Hearer and the icon of the Seeking of the Lost, written by Russian pilgrims in gratitude for salvation from a shipwreck. Left - grave Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin)- the most outstanding head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem in its entire history, who made a huge contribution to the development of Russian Palestine. He did amazingly much: he acquired many land plots for Russia, built many churches, created several monastic cloisters, and set up shelters for pilgrims. It is thanks to him that many holy places on this blessed land belong to Orthodox Christians. Moreover, all this activity was extremely complicated due to the Turkish Muslim rule, which was then in Palestine.

Behind the altar of the Ascension Church is a chapel built on the site of an ancient church. Inside the chapel is the place of the 1st and 2nd Finding of the head of John the Baptist. The mosaic floor of the 4th century from an ancient Byzantine temple has been preserved in the chapel.

One of the attractions of the monastery is a high bell tower, called "Russian Candle". It is still the tallest building in Jerusalem. Its height is 64 meters. The bells for the Olivet Monastery were cast in Russia with donations from the people. The main Eleon bell weighing 308 pounds was commissioned by the pious Solikamsk merchant Alexander Ryazantsev. But when the ship with the bell landed in the port of Jaffa, the Turkish authorities realized that they did not allow the bell ringing, and forbade the bell to be taken to Jerusalem. Then Russian pilgrims, mostly women, dragged the bell to Jerusalem by drag.

Eleon. The place of the exploits of the Monk Pelagia of Antioch

Not far from the place of the Ascension of the Lord there is a cave in which the Monk Pelagia labored and where the relics of this holy ascetic rest. The cave belongs to Muslims and is located on the territory of the mosque in a small building. For the Orthodox, this place is opened on the day of remembrance of the reverend - October 8/21. Saint Pelagia was born in Antioch, she was very beautiful and led a dissolute life. Hearing Bishop Nonna preach about the Last Judgment, Pelagia was horrified by her sinful life, repented and was baptized. After that, she, dressed in men's clothes and calling herself the monk Pelagius, withdrew to Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives, where she closed herself in a cave and achieved high spiritual gifts.

Beautiful and diverse landscapes are found in Israel. These mountain ranges divide the country into three regions that are completely different in terms of relief: the Rift Valley, the mountainous region, and the Primorskaya Plain. At the same time, the splendor of flora and fauna is Israel's natural attractions: Mediterranean massifs and alpine nature in the mountains, blooming oases and coral reefs, as well as the tropical fauna of the Gulf of Eilat and the desert.

The ancient city of the world, which was called in different eras each time in a new way - Jerusalem. At the age of three thousand years, this capital and homeland of three great world religions has 70 different names. For example, under King David - Jebus. Jerusalem is completely surrounded by mountains and is picturesque. This place is an enchanting mixture of antiquity and modernity, historical monuments and spirituality, religion and culture, history and peoples. The number of sights in Jerusalem is so great that it is necessary to develop a plan for visiting them.

Mountain of legends and legends

It is best to start an amazing acquaintance with the treasures of Israel in Jerusalem from the observation deck. It is placed on the Mount of Olives. It is the highest among the Jerusalem mountains: 793 meters above sea level. Its slopes are picturesque. Take a look at them and you will understand why the mountain has been called that for 30 centuries: it is decorated with old and young olive trees. Previously, signs and signals were given to its peaks with the help of burning torches along the peaks of the ridge to Babylon. A strikingly majestic view opens from here: in the distance beyond the Kidron River - ancient fortress walls, roofs of houses in the old part of the city, countless domes of temples, stately candles of minarets, and in the northwest - the Christian quarter with the shrine of Christianity - the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Here, in front of the observation deck, there is an ancient Jewish cemetery: with many white tombstones, some of them from the era of the First Temple. There is a saying that it is from here that the resurrection from the dead will begin when the Messiah ascends the Mount of Olives. Therefore, the Orthodox Church of the Ascension with a white bell tower of 60 meters is located on the top of the Mount of Olives. At the site of Jesus' ascension to heaven, located nearby, a chapel of the same name was erected in the 19th century. Just as close is the Orthodox Church - the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, which was built on donations from Emperor Alexander III in memory of his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

Mount of Olives in Jerusalem on the map of Jerusalem

Beautiful and diverse landscapes are found in Israel. These mountain ranges divide the country into three regions that are completely different in terms of relief: the Rift Valley, the mountainous region, and the Primorskaya Plain. At the same time, the magnificence of flora and fauna are the natural attractions of Israel: Mediterranean massifs and alpine nature in the mountains, blooming oases and coral reefs, as well as tropical fauna..." />

• Address: Jerusalem, Israel;
• Height: 826 m;
• Attractions: Augusta Victoria Church, Spaso-Ascension Monastery, Pater Noster Church, Ascension Chapel, Ascension Greek Monastery, Church of All Nations and others.

The famous Olivet sermon, treacherous betrayal in, the place of worship of the Lord of King David, the most famous, the Ascension of Christ. All this is connected with the Mount of Olives in. On its slopes you will meet many cultural, historical, architectural and biblical monuments, as well as enjoy the amazing panoramas of the sacred "city of three religions" that open from the top of the Mount of Olives.

Some history and interesting facts

• the mountain has two names: Olivet (in honor of one of the most famous sermons of Christ) and Olive (from the dense olive groves that used to cover almost the entire hill);
• the highest point is 826 meters;
• the first mention is in the Old Testament (the story of the flight from Jerusalem of King David from the son of Absalom);
• the entire mountain range consists of three peaks: the South (Mount of the Temptation, where Solomon built temples for his wives), the Middle (Mount of the Ascension) and the North (Little Galilee, so named because wanderers from Galilee often stopped here at inns);
• it is rather symbolic that the Mount of Olives is about 1000 steps from Jerusalem - that is how much a pious Jew is allowed to walk on the Sabbath (therefore, the road from the city to the mountain is often called the "Sabbath way");
• at the time of the Second Temple, there was a bridge connecting the two main capital mountains - the Olive and the Temple;
• The Mount of Olives at the end of the 7th century acquired special significance for the Jews (then access to the Temple Mount was closed and all public meetings and national holidays were held on the Hills of Olives;
• the legendary mountain experienced difficult days during the War of Independence, then Jordan almost completely captured these lands, not counting the main campus of the university, many buildings were destroyed, and the cemetery was desecrated;
• in 1967, the Mount of Olives again passed to Israel, large-scale restoration work was carried out to restore buildings, tombstones and all historical monuments.

What to see on the Mount of Olives?

Given the proximity to the sacred biblical city, it is easy to assume that more than one religious building can be found on the mountain. The most famous of them:

• Augusta Victoria Church– a beautiful building in neo-Byzantine style with a high bell tower, statues of eagles at the entrance, luxurious interior decoration and a large organ (at different times there was a guest house, a temple, a military headquarters and a hospital, today divine services and classical music concerts are held);


• (under the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church) - famous for its high 64-meter bell tower, nicknamed the "Russian Candle", the stone of the Virgin Mary, where the Virgin Mary stood during the Ascension of Christ and outstanding archaeological finds in these places (bust of Herod the Great, mosaic floors of the VI century, burial caves and other ancient artifacts);


• Church Pater Noster- According to legend, it was here that the Son of God gave his apostles the main biblical prayer - “Our Father” ”(inside the temple, along all the walls, there are sacred inscriptions of this prayer in more than 140 different languages);


• Chapel of the Ascension- a small octagonal building, located on the site of the former Temple of the Ascension, built once by the Equal-to-the-Apostles Elena (the imprint of Jesus' foot was preserved here);


• Greek Monastery of the Ascension- an unusual story is connected with this church: in 1992, when the construction of a new church by Archimandrite Joachim of Chios was almost completed, it turned out that some legal norms were not observed, police officers with a bulldozer arrived at the construction site and began dismantling the illegally erected building, when the workers reached the Lower Church, an incredible thing happened - the round icon of Christ fell to the floor and began to rotate around its axis, at that time all the equipment miraculously died out, the church was left and today divine services are held here;
• - the temple was built in 1924 with the money of Catholic communities from 12 countries of the world (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, USA), which is why it got its name, the cathedral has 12 domes , twilight always reigns here and conversations inside are strictly forbidden (according to legend, it was at this place that Jesus prayed on the last night before the crucifixion);


• - erected at the end of the 19th century by the Russian emperor in memory of mother Maria Alexandrovna (the temple has seven domes, the interior is striking in its richness and grandeur: a white marble iconostasis, ornate bronze ornaments, expensive icons);


• - here the mother of Jesus Christ was buried by the apostles, 48 ​​steps lead to the tomb, a small church was built underground in the form of a cross, where there is a coffin with the Virgin Mary and a marble cuvuklia.

Temples and monasteries are not the only attractions of the Mount of Olives. Also located here Hebrew Jerusalem University, which was included in the top 100 universities in the world in 2012, Hadassah hospital, nominated for the Nobel Prize in 2005, brigham young university, and, of course, the main decoration of the Mount of Olives -. It is here that you can take some of the most picturesque photos in Jerusalem - on the western slope of the Mount of Olives, surrounded by ancient olive trees, which are more than 1000 years old, and against the backdrop of golden-domed temples.

What to see at the foot of the Mount of Olives?

On the southern and western lower slopes of the Mount of Olives is a huge Jewish cemetery. The first graves appeared here in the era of the First Temple; these burials are more than 2500 years old.

The cemetery on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem did not appear by chance. According to the words of the prophet Zechariah, it is from this place that the resurrection of all the dead after the end of the world will begin. Every Jew considers it a great honor to be buried on a sacred mountain, but today it is quite difficult to obtain permission to be buried here. The number of graves has already exceeded 150 thousand. The right to be buried on the Mount of Olives is granted only to dignitaries and prominent residents.

In the most sacred Jewish cemetery, you can find the graves of Rabbi Shlomo Goren, who blew his horn as a sign of the end of the Six Day War, the "father of modern Hebrew" Eliezer Ben-Yehud, the writer Shmuel Yosef Agnon, the famous public figure Abraham Yitzhak Kook, the Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin, writer Elsa Lasker-Schuler, media mogul Robert Maxwell. Some burials are attributed to Old Testament characters.

There is another famous cemetery on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem - The tombs of the prophets. This is a deep cave with 36 burial niches. According to legend, the prophets Zechariah, Haggai, Mal'akhi and other biblical preachers found peace here. However, many researchers refute this story and insist that secular Christians are buried in the cave, and apart from its name, nothing connects it with real prophets.

How to get there?

The Mount of Olives can be reached on foot. The nearest path lies from the Lion's Gate.

If you want to save your energy for a walk along the mountain itself, you can take bus number 75 almost to the main observation deck on the Mount of Olives. It departs from a station near .

However, there are several other notable places that are located nearby. Therefore, we will go to the Mount of Olives, which can be reached on foot from the Old City in 10-20 minutes.

At the foot of one of its slopes, in the Kidron Valley, is Gethsemane, a place where there are now several churches and a small garden. As the Gospel says, important events in the history of Christianity took place here. It is believed that it was from here that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven.

Information:
The Mount of Olives, הַר הַזֵּיתִים‏)
Location: Natural high ground east of the Old City, Jerusalem
Opening hours: every day around the clock. Churches are open from about 6-8:00 to 17-18:00, depending on the season. Please note that most churches have a break from 12:00 to 14:00, and some do not work on Sundays. But, judging by the reviews on TripAdvisor, you can knock on the door and ask to get inside - the Orthodox will be allowed in at any time.
Cost: free. Only a visit to the site of the Ascension of Christ is paid, as it lies on Arab territory. Women should take a headscarf with them if they are going to visit churches. Photography is allowed everywhere. According to a few more reviews from TripAdvisor, Arab thieves live in the area of ​​the observation deck, be careful with your bags.

How to get from the Old City: exit the Lion Gate, go down and turn right. Walk 5-10 minutes ahead, on the left side you will see the entrance to the mountain. Also from the Damascus Gate there are buses in her direction.
How to get from Jerusalem: take public transport to the Lion's Gate stop, and walk a little.

What to see on the Mount of Olives:

• Garden of Gethsemane
• Tomb of the Virgin Mary and Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Russian Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Russian Church of Mary Magdalene)
• Church of All Nations
• Monastery Pater Noster (Church of Pater Noster)
• Chapel of Ascension and the Foot of the Savior
• Gethsemane grotto (Grotto of Gethsemane)
• Jewish cemetery on the hillside
• jewish cemetery
• Tomb of Zacharia

Quick shot along the way showing the Church of All Nations (bottom) and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene (top).

There is an observation deck on the Mount of Olives, which, unfortunately, I never got to. It is said to be the highest point in the city and offers stunning views of the Old Town. My advice- take a whole day to visit this area, or at least a full half day from the early morning. Then you will definitely have time to get to the site and to all points of interest to you. My own route was simple due to lack of time: the Garden of Gethsemane - the tomb of the Virgin, and a short jog around the area. So, further I will talk only about these places.

Garden of Gethsemane. First, a little history. In ancient times, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, there was a settlement where olive trees grew and olive oil was produced. This gave the name to the area on its slope in the Kidron Valley - Gethsemane. In Hebrew, "gat shmanim" means pressing for oil. Olive trees grow here to this day in the territory of the Garden of Gethsemane, which was my first stop.

Information:
Garden of Gethsemane (The Garden of Gethsemane, Hortus Gethsemani)
Opening hours: April-September 8:00-18:00, October-March 08:00-17:00
Cost: free
Nearby there is a paid toilet.

The entrance is made in the form of a rectangular arch. Above - the name of the garden in Latin, even higher - the image of the Jerusalem cross.

And another Jerusalem cross outside.

Previously, the garden was not surrounded by stone walls, this happened later. Its territory is small, but interesting in its own way. Just look at these olive trees that seem to have grown out of a fairy tale. It seems that mythical heroes were carved into their trunks. I wonder if they still bloom? I have never seen olives grow before.

According to legend, they are over 2000 years old. As the Bible tells, at this place Jesus was betrayed by Judas, and here he prayed for the last time before his execution.

After admiring the fairy-tale witch-oak trees, I left the garden and went to the next point.

. According to legend, the Mother of God was buried in Gethsemane next to her parents and husband. A cave church of the Assumption of the Virgin was built over her tomb. The entrance to it is inside a small courtyard, also surrounded by stone walls. It's easy to find, just a 5-minute walk from the Garden of Gethsemane.

Information:
Tomb of the Virgin Mary
Opening hours: daily 6:00-12:00 and 14:30-17:00

The church consists of several halls and has an unusual view from the inside. Its walls are made of stone, and the ceilings are more like cave vaults.

At the entrance to the tomb there is an altar with an icon of Our Lady of Jerusalem. The tomb itself is a narrow room with another altar, at the approach to which, as a rule, a queue forms.

Believers leave here their notes with wishes and requests.

That's all. On the same evening, I needed to return to, and according to the plan, a trip to was still ahead. So I hurried to the bus to the bus station. Galloping across Europe, of course, but I managed to do everything.

Who will swim with me? Go!

MOUNT OF OIL (הַר הַזֵּיתִים , H ar-h a-Zeitim; in the Russian tradition - Mount of Olives), a hill stretching from north to south against the eastern wall of the Old City of Jerusalem, on the other side of the Kidron Valley.

In the Bible, the Mount of Olives (Ma'ale-h a-zeitim, 'Rise of Olives') is mentioned as the place where David worshiped God (II Sam. 15:30–32). Perhaps the name is associated with the ceremony of anointing the king by the high priest that took place at this place. Apparently, on the southern spur of the Mount of Olives (Mashkha), Solomon built temples for his foreign wives (I Ch. 11:7). Ezekiel (11:23) in the prophecy about the end of days gives a special place to the Mount of Olives: "And the glory of the Lord rose up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain that is to the east of the city."

Actually the name Mount of Olives is first found in the prophet Zechariah (14:4): “And His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem to the east; and the Mount of Olives will split in two from the east to the west…”

During the Second Temple era, the Mount of Olives was connected by a bridge (possibly two) to the Temple Mount, and lights were lit on it to announce the onset of the new moon (see calendar). During the siege of Jerusalem by the forces of Titus at the end of the Jewish War I, the Tenth Legion camped on the northern peak of the Mount of Olives (Scopus).

After the Arab conquerors allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and the pilgrimage of the Jews of the Diaspora to Jerusalem began, and especially from the end of the 8th century, when access to the Temple Mount was closed to Jews, the Mount of Olives acquired a special significance: here on the feast of X osha'na Rabbah the head of the academy of Eretz Israel (see yeshiva) read out the "Announcement of the Mount of Olives", setting the calendar dates for new moons, holidays, etc., and appointed members of the Sanhedrin. The choice of the Mount of Olives as a place of public meetings is determined by the midrashic tradition (see midrash) and the prevailing idea of ​​the Mount of Olives as "the place of the Lord's throne", which is reflected in the letters of the heads of the academy.

A tradition is connected with the Jewish cemetery on the slope of the Mount of Olives, according to which, at the end of days, the Messiah will ascend the Mount of Olives and from there, at the sound of the trumpet of Ezekiel, the resurrection from the dead will begin (cf. Jeh. 37). Burial here began as early as the era of the First Temple, as evidenced by the many catacombs between and under the houses of the Arab quarter of Silwan (see Shilloah). In the era of the Second Temple, the cemetery moved north, covering the slopes of the Mount of Olives (the so-called Yad Avshalom / see Avshalom /, the traditional tomb of Zechariah ben Yeh oyada / see II Chr. 24:20–22 / and other objects have survived from this period) . The rest of the monuments belong mainly to the last centuries.

During the War of Independence, Jordan established control over the entire Mount of Olives, with the exception of the university campus, which became an Israeli enclave (under these conditions, the activities of the university were impossible, and eventually a new campus of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem was built in the Giv'at-Ram area). The Jewish cemetery was desecrated, many tombstones were destroyed, and gravestones were used for paving roads. After 1967, when the Mount of Olives completely came under Israeli control, the Jewish cemetery was restored and became available for burial. The activities of the Hebrew University on Scopus have resumed, where a new campus has been erected.

In 1987, on the western slope of the Mount of Olives, near the campus of the Hebrew University, the Jerusalem Center of the American Brigham Young University (the so-called Mormon University) was built. The building was designed by an Israeli architect, Israeli State Prize laureate David Reznik (1924–2012). In addition to classrooms and dormitories for students, the center has a concert hall, which hosts weekly public concerts, as well as a garden with viewing platforms and models of Jerusalem from various historical eras.