Sights in Galilee
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Nazareth Village
If you're having trouble imagining Jesus doing anything miraculous amid the bustle of modern Nazareth, then step back 2000 years at Nazareth Village. Everyday life and commerce in a traditional Galilean village has been duly reconstructed with actors in period clothing leading tours of the working farm. Leave any nightmares of tacky olde worlde historical theme parks at the door - it's well done and worth a stop. It's a 15-minute walk due west from the basilica, just beyond Al-Wadi al-Jawani St.
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Basilica of the Annunciation
Dominating the Nazareth skyline is the Roman Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation, the largest church in the Middle East and one of the Christian world's most holy shrines. The church is believed to stand on the site of Mary's home where the Angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that she was pregnant with the Son of God (Luke 1:26-38).
Commissioned by the Franciscan church and consecrated in 1969, architect Giovanni Muzio was told to create something 'modern, multinational and mysterious'. With its imposing dome, the church (the fifth to have stood on this spot) certainly has a modern feel. The rather weird mix of artwork, mother-and-child themed gifts donated by C…
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Hammat Tiberias National Park
Israel's spa craze actually has a 2000-year-old history which started at the hot springs of Hammat Tiberias when, during Roman times, they were the focus, if not raison d'être, of a community of 40,000 fervent bathers. Check out the history of the site at the Hammat Tiberias National Park, which features a small museum in what was originally part of a Turkish bathhouse. The main highlight is a synagogue dating from the 3rd to 5th centuries AD, which has a beautiful zodiac mosaic floor.
Much has been made of the mosaic's curious mix of Jewish and pagan symbols, but somehow this seems quite apt in Tiberias, a town that, historically, seems to have been able to reconcile th…
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Tomb of Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon
The tomb of Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon is the final resting place of the Spanish physician, also known as Maimonides or Rambam, who worked in the court of the Muslim ruler Saladin. This revered rabbi, who died in 1204, was one of 12th-century Egypt's most highly regarded sages. Legend has it that before his death in Cairo, he instructed followers to load his remains onto a camel and bury him wherever the camel expired. The camel was apparently drawn to Tiberias.
Next to Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon's tomb lies Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakkai, the Holy Land's most eminent sage at the time of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. Ben Zakkai is said to have faked his own death, escaping the ci…
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Tiberias Beaches
Water pollution, lack of water…there's a never ending list of problems facing the Sea of Galilee, but what really seems to aggravate both locals and travellers the most is the illegal privatisation of the beaches. Some stretches of shoreline are now completely fenced off, with owners charging up to ₪120 for a bit of fun in the sun.
Most of the beaches immediately around Tiberias are owned by hotels, which do at least provide facilities such as changing rooms and showers. If you don't like the idea of paying for access, either head for the harbour wall to the south of the Radisson Moriah Plaza Hotel, or leave Tiberias altogether and walk or take a bus further south, be…
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Church & Monastery Of The Apostles
By the water's edge, south of the Radisson Moriah Plaza Hotel lies the Church & Monastery Of The Apostles. This Greek Orthodox complex is on the site of a Byzantine monastery that was destroyed by the Persians in the 7th century. Since then the complex has been rebuilt and destroyed numerous times; the buildings standing today date from the late 19th century but have been restored as recently as 1975.
Three monks live here and they'll usually admit visitors who ring the bell. There are four chapels beyond the pleasant, walled courtyard. One chapel is dedicated to St Peter, one to the disciples, and one to Mary Magdalene; the one in the ancient round tower is dedicated to …
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St Gabriel's Church
According to Greek Orthodox beliefs, the Angel Gabriel appeared before Mary while she was fetching water, not while she was home in what is now the grotto in the Roman Catholic basilica. St Gabriel's Church was built in the late 17th century on the site of earlier churches and the beautifully restored crypt at the far end contains the source of the spring supplying the nearby well. Before entering the attractive interior take a look at the ancient graffiti carved around the doorway.
The church is about 10 minutes' walk north of the Basilica of the Annunciation, one block north of where Paul VI St ends.
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St Peter's Church
Hidden along the northern promenade it is worth looking out for the lovely Franciscan church built by 12th-century Crusaders. The Muslims converted it into a mosque, and you can make out an area of uneven stone on the southern wall filling in the hole where a mihrab (prayer niche indicating the direction of Mecca) was carved. Later, the Turks used the building as a caravanserai before it was rebuilt as a church in 1870. .
Its two features are the boat-shaped nave, a nod to St Peter's piscatorial profession, and the courtyard built by the Polish soldiers stationed here during WWII.
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Museum of Hungarian Speaking Jewry
The collection of folklore exhibits at the Museum of Hungarian Speaking Jewry depicts the vibrant history of the Jews living in Hungary, Transylvania, Slovakia, Carpathian Russia, Bachka, Banat and Burgenland before WWII. The museum’s founders, longtime Tsfat residents and Holocaust survivors, are passionate about preserving this rich past, returning to Eastern Europe to collect interesting pieces for the museum, from children’s books to religious antiques. If you have Hungarian family this museum has a large database of archives for those interested in doing some research.
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Al-Amari Mosque
As out of place as a pin-stripe suited gent at a teenage rave, the dignified little Al-Amari Mosque looks threatened and lost squeezed between some gaudy shops and a brusque concrete supermarket. Built by Daher al-Omar in the mid-18th century, the mosque is one of the very few buildings in Tiberias that predates 1948. It is generally held that its construction was partly paid for by the town's Jewish community, presumably grateful to the sheikh for being permitted to return.
The mosque stands forlornly abandoned, and no one appears to have any plans to utilise its potential.
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Tomb of Meir Ba'al Hanes
One of Judaism's holiest sites is the Tomb of Meir Ba'al Hanes, the 2nd-century rabbi who helped to compile the Mishnah.The tomb is marked by two synagogues: Sephardic, the one on the left with the white dome; and Ashkenazi, with the blue dome. In the courtyard of the Sephardic synagogue is a pillar topped by a large bowl, and four days before the Lag B'Omer holiday a bonfire is lit here on the Pesah Sheni (second Passover).
Crowds of religious Jews visit throughout the year to pray and it is a belief that God will answer the prayers of pilgrims with personal problems.
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El-Rais
Toward the end of the Ottoman era, local leaders such as Governor Daher el-Omar ruled the Galilee and Nazareth was in its heyday. Beautiful mansions flowered the city, many of which are still standing today. Recognisable by their red roof tiles, three arched windows and balcony, they also have richly decorated interiors, all Italian marble and colourful fresco ceilings. The house of El-Rais has 13 rooms with painted ceilings - one featuring the owner holidaying in Egypt with his wife.
Contact the tourist office (tel: 602 8219) to organise a visit.
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Chapel of Fright
Luke 4:29-30 tells of the occasion when the people of Nazareth tried to throw Jesus off the top of a hill. In the southern part of the town, the Franciscan Chapel of Fright is built on the supposed site from where Mary witnessed this event. The nearby hill is known as the 'precipice', or the Leap of the Lord. Look for the signposted gate in the wall on Paul VI St, opposite the Hotel Galilee, south of the town centre. The chapel is behind the wall, beyond St Claire's Convent.
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Mensa Christi Church
Built in 1860, the small Franciscan Mensa Christi Church contains a large slab of rock known in Latin as Mensa Christi (Table of Christ). The rock is believed to be the dining table used by Jesus and his disciples after the Resurrection. Note the graffiti from numerous pilgrims from over the centuries. It is north of the Sisters of St Charles Borramaeus Convent, near the Maronite Church and Ecumenical Christian Child Care Centre.
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HaMeiri Museum
Established by Yehzkel HaMeiri, a fifth-generation Tsfatian, the interesting HaMeiri museum outlines the story and struggles of Tsfat’s Jewish community over the last 200 years. Each floor is dedicated to a different aspect of the community’s life, with artefacts such as ancient books, clothing and furniture. There are also recorded interviews with older residents.
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Salesian Church Of Jesus the Adolescent
Built between 1906 and 1923 in the Gothic style, this is probably the most beautiful of Nazareth's many churches. Salesian Church Of Jesus the Adolescent belongs to the French Salesian Order and its attractive architecture, both inside and out, and the great views of the town below justify the 20-minute climb to get up there. If you don't want to face the 250 steps, take bus No 13.
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Tiberias Hot Springs
The old traditions of relaxation and rejuvenation at Hammat Tiberias are maintained by Tiberias Hot Springs. It has both a health centre for people with serious skin conditions and a modern resort centre on the shore of the lake which is great for enjoying a good soak in one of the mineral baths. Treatments such as Swedish massage and mud wraps are also available.
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Greek Catholic Synagogue-Church
This unassuming Greek Catholic Synagogue-Church dates back to Crusader time. It is built on the site of a synagogue believed to be where the young Jesus regularly prayed and later preached (Luke 4:15-30). In 1887 the adjacent and rather less modest Greek Catholic Church, with its magnificent dome and two bell-towers, was added on to the old Crusader structure.
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St Joseph's Church
This church was built in 1914 and occupies the site considered to be that of Joseph's carpentry shop. This belief probably originated in the 17th century; today's church was built over the remains of a Crusader church with Romanesque influences. Down in the crypt you can see an underground cave used for grain storage in pre-Byzantine times.
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Sisters Of Nazareth Convent
This convent operates a school for deaf and blind Arab children. It also provides accommodation for travelers in its hospice and hostel. The convent boasts one of the best examples of an ancient Herodian tomb (tel: 655 4304) sealed by a rolling stone. It lies under the present courtyard and can only be viewed by appointment.
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General Exhibition
There are still a lot of artists around, but a great many, unfortunately, seem to belong to the ‘Sunday afternoon’ school of painting. The General Exhibition, housed in a white-domed Ottoman-era mosque just a little to the southwest of Ma’alot Olei HaGardom St, features a representative selection of work.
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Roman Bathhouse
The owner of the Cactus Gift Shop, Elias Shama, has excavated an almost perfectly preserved 2000-year-old Roman bathhouse which utilised water from Mary's Well. The shop runs tours for ₪120 for up to four people including coffee. It's located beside Mary's Well.
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Tomb of Rabbi Akiva
A white dome covers the cave-Tomb of Rabbi Akiva. Born in AD 50, he was one of the great Jewish scholars, and was killed by the Romans for his role in the Bar Kochba Revolt (AD 132-35). Take bus number 4 from Ben Zakkai St to get to the tomb.
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Mary's Well
Also known as the Virgin's Fountain, Mary's Well stands in a handsome-looking plaza in front of St Gabriel's Church. Some believe that the Angel Gabriel appeared here, and the water is said to have powers of healing.
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Herodian Tomb
One of the best examples of an ancient Herodian tomb is found inside Sisters Of Nazareth Convent, sealed by a rolling stone. It lies under the present courtyard and can only be viewed by appointment.
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