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Nazareth itself is the largest Arab town in Israel. About 60% of the population are Muslim; the remainder are Christian. It's the site of the largest Christian church in the Middle East - the Basilica of the Anunciation. This is allegedly on the site of Joseph & Mary's house, where the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would have Jesus. How they figured out that this was the site is anyone's guess - it probably goes back to the time of Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine. She made a tour of the region, and decided where all the events took place. Considering this was over 300 years after the said events, her information may not have been that accurate. Here's the Basilica.
It is actually very impressive inside. You can see down into a little underground area that supposedly contains Joseph's house. Rubble, basically. The Suq in Nazareth is buzzing in more ways than one. Lots of flies about in some sections. It's good fun for rummaging around.
Here's one of the main streets. The Basilica is to the right, behind some old buildings.
There's plenty to buy in the market...
But it's a nice place, if you like the hustle & bustle of an Arab town (which I do - but it's an acquired taste!). There are also some pleasing buildings elsewhere in Nazareth, such as the brilliantly-named Church of Jesus the Adolescent (below).
It's a very serene place, with great views over Nazareth and beyond. Well worth the climb up the hill.
Mount of Precipitation
Just a short distance outside the town is the Mount of Precipitation. Well, it doesn't rain a lot - it's called that because legend has it that this is where they took Jesus to chuck him off the cliff. The chances of this being the site are pretty low (more likely it was a different spot inside the modern town), but you get an amazing view of the Jezreel Valley.
All in all, a pretty amazing place! |
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