Nothing unusual about this church. If you take the Mount Olive tour, it is on the way as you are walking down. Very quiet and peaceful.
Church of All Nations & Gathsemane
Photo: Church of All Nations & Gathsemane
It is said that before his arrest by the Romans, Jesus prayed at the foot of the Mount of Olives, on a section of the bedrock in the Garden on Gethsemane. Like other sites on Jesus’ path to the cross, throughout much of the ensuing period, this rock was enshrined by a succession of Christian places of worship. Among these were a 4th-century Byzantine basilica that was destroyed by an earthquake in the year 746 CE, and a 12th-century Crusader chapel that was abandoned in 1345.
Since 1924, the Church of All Nations (officially named the Basilica of the Agony) has rested on the foundations of these earlier churches. The church is thus named because the funds that went into its construction were donated by a variety of countries. Each of these nations is commemorated with a coat of arms in the glass of the church ceiling.
Inside, the focus of the church is the bedrock, which is surrounded by a crown. The Church of All Nation’s impressive facade features a row of Corinthian columns under a mosaic portraying Jesus as an intermediary between man and God. The facade joins the bubble-domed roof to give this church a distinctly Byzantine look.
Photos courtesy of Ministry of Tourism, by Noam Chen
TripAdvisor Reviews
Based on 988 traveler reviews"Average Church"
"Beautiful but crowded"
The church is beautiful but crowded, especially getting in and out of the church. Recommend stopping by.
"Beautiful Church of the Agony next to Gethsemane"
Located just next to The Garden of Gethsemane the Church of the Agony in the Garden makes a great entry point to the Garden. Run by the Franciscans, this beautiful Church is a must see.