This is an important religious location marked by the Church of All Nations and the nearby Garden of Gethsemane. The church is an important architectural building and well worth a visit. The Garden has olive trees many hundreds of years old. A very unique place.
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 890 traveler reviewsNew
“A special place.”
The Church of All Nations is a very beautiful church, and though it is very close to the Old City, it feels very serene and peaceful there. It has a breathtaking view towards the Old City, and as it is directly located next to the Garden of Gethsemane, it is also a special location...
MoreThe Church of All Nations is a very beautiful church, and though it is very close to the Old City, it feels very serene and peaceful there. It has a breathtaking view towards the Old City, and as it is directly located next to the Garden of Gethsemane, it is also a special location for all believers of Jesus Christ.
Less“An important and impressive site”
“Beautiful tribute to Christ’s night of prayer”
Built over the rock it was believed Jesus prayed at before his arrest, this monument was not overdone. It is beautiful, reverent and inspires meditation.