Gethsemane Basilica (church of all nations)

Regarded as one of the most iconic landmarks in Jerusalem, the Church of All Nations and Garden of Gethsemane sit at the foot of the Mount of Olives on the eastern side of the Kidron Valley. This stunning neo-Byzantine church was built in 1924 on the ruins of two previous churches. Designed by renowned Italian architect Antonio Berluzzi, and funded with donations from several nations, this magical Church commemorates the spot where Christian tradition holds that Jesus prayed in agony the night before he was crucified. The design of the basilica blends the elements of a typical Roman basilica with the elements of a roof made of 12 small domes that suggest an Eastern style. Multiple mosaics represent the 12 nations that helped fund the construction of the church and the outside Façade of the Church has a richly colored triangular mosaic at the top showing the story of Gethsemane with Jesus in the center weeping over the future fate of Jerusalem. The current church was built on the foundations of two earlier ones, namely a Byzantine basilica dating back to the 4th century, destroyed by an earthquake in 746, and a Crusader chapel from the 12th century abandoned in 1345. In 1920 during foundation work on the crusader chapel, a column was discovered buried two meters below ground level. Remains of a magnificent mosaic were also discovered in the excavation. The plans for the new church were altered after the excavation of the remains of the Byzantine-era church was complete, and the building of the basilica continued until June 1924 when it was consecrated, after the remains of the Byzantine-era church were fully excavated. Another significant reason to visit the church is its location in the Garden of Gethsemane known for its eight beautiful olive trees that date back around 2,000 years old - and is thought to have been an olive tree garden even during Christ's day.