Nazareth, Israel
Basilica of the Annunciation
The largest church in the Middle East, built over a first-century cave-house where an inscription reads Ave Maria.
Biblical significance
The modern basilica, completed in 1969, encloses layers of earlier churches down to a first-century dwelling carved into the hillside. On a column base from the Byzantine church, a Greek graffito reads XE MAPIA — one of the earliest known Marian inscriptions. The upper church is ringed by mosaic Madonnas donated by nations, each in its own national idiom.
Scripture
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Best time to go
Any season; Nazareth is pleasant year-round.
Visitor notes
Free. Modest dress strictly enforced. Nearby: St Joseph's Church and Mary's Well.
Coordinates
32.7020, 35.2978
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