Church of the Nativity

The Church of the Nativity is one of the oldest churches still in existence today. The original structure was built in the 4th century AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine, directly over the grotto where the Virgin Mary gave birth to the infant Jesus. Constantine and his mother, Helena, commissioned a magnificent and imposing edifice, adorned with marble and exquisite mosaics.

Later, in the 6th century, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian constructed a new, distinctive church on the same site. The structure survived the Persian invasion in the 7th century, and by the 11th century, the Crusaders had raised their banners over the Church of the Nativity and carried out restoration work.

To protect the site from invaders—and in recognition of its profound religious significance—the main entrance to the Church of the Nativity was gradually lowered and narrowed. Inside, two sets of stairs lead down to the Grotto of the Nativity, where a silver star with fourteen rays marks the exact spot where Jesus was born. An inscription in Greek surrounds the star, reading: "Here, of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ was born."