Church of Saint George

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Toward the end of the nineteenth century, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem received permission from the Ottoman authorities to build a church on the site of a previous basilica. The church is built over an earlier 15th century AD structure, and occupies the north end of the nave and left-hand aisle of the earlier church, from which there survive two apses - which, contrary to the normal rule, face north rather than east.

The Ottoman authorities stipulated, that part of the plot be made available for a mosque. Consequently the current Church of St. George incorporates only the northeast corner of the Byzantine basilica. The prayer hall of the adjacent mosque contains a column that once stood in the nave of the basilica. The church contains the sarcophagus of St George.

ee also

* Al-Khidr
* St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem, an Anglican church in Jerusalem, dedicated to the same saint.
* Monastery of Saint George, al-Khader, a Greek Orthodox monastery in the Palestinian town of Khader near Bethlehem.

External links

*http://www.ourfatherlutheran.net/biblehomelands/palestine/hebronroad.htm
*http://www.planetware.com/lod/st-georges-church-isr-cn-lodsgc.htm
*http://www.jcjcr.org/index_item_view.php?iid=65
*http://archnet.org/library/images/thumbnails.tcl?location_id=9972

References