The Shrine of the Prophet Yahya (John the Baptist)

Description of the site: The shrine is in the current center of the village inside the nave of the Church of John the Baptist; it can be accessed through a narrow stone staircase about 4 meters below the church floor. It is a small room approximately 3 x 4 meters cut from natural rock, its walls partly covered with granite slabs. The stone door that used to close its narrow entrance is still inside, and it is a thick stone door decorated with geometric shapes. The southern facade of the cave includes the burial place of the body of the Prophet Yahya or John the Baptist. As a result of religious belief, Sebastia became an episcopal center bearing its name. The Church of John the Baptist was built on it in the fourth century AD, and rebuilt during the Crusader period. It became a destination for pilgrims on the Christian pilgrimage route, starting from the city of Nazareth and ending with the town of Bethlehem.In the Mamluk period, an Islamic shrine was built above the burial chamber to emphasize the sanctity of the place. The shrine is still standing, surmounted by a stone dome to its side, and a small mosque dating back to the same period is attached to it. The people of Sebastia and the surrounding villages (Muslims and Christians), were keen to visit the shrine in seasons and occasions to make vows and donate a request to fulfill their needs such as asking for recovery, or a request for fertility, marriage, or other conditions within the beliefs that were prevalent in Palestinian society.