Culture
14:16, 29-Apr-2019
Birthplace of Jesus: The Church of Nativity in Palestine
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Bethlehem in Palestine, about 10 kilometers south of the city of Jerusalem, is home to the Church of the Nativity, where Jesus Christ was believed born.
The church was originally completed in 339 AD by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, but destroyed by fire, although some underground parts survived. It was overlaid by the present Church of the Nativity by Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 565 AD.
In the underground Grotto of the Nativity, a 14-point silver star marks the exact birthplace of Jesus, the founder of Christianity that expanded to have more than two billion believers today.
The oldest church in daily use has been a pilgrimage destination over the past 1,700 years.
Franciscan priests pray during a procession in front of the Bethlehem star inside the Grotto at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, December 18, 2014. /VCG Photo
Franciscan priests pray during a procession in front of the Bethlehem star inside the Grotto at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, December 18, 2014. /VCG Photo
The 14-point silver star beneath the altar in the Grotto of the Nativity, June 16, 2013. /VCG Photo
The 14-point silver star beneath the altar in the Grotto of the Nativity, June 16, 2013. /VCG Photo
A christian priest and worshipers attend a Sunday mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, December 22, 2013. /VCG Photo
A christian priest and worshipers attend a Sunday mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, December 22, 2013. /VCG Photo
A Christian worshiper is seen inside the Grotto of the Nativity, December 17, 2014. /VCG Photo
A Christian worshiper is seen inside the Grotto of the Nativity, December 17, 2014. /VCG Photo
A Christian worshiper touches an icon at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, December 18, 2014. /VCG Photo
A Christian worshiper touches an icon at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, December 18, 2014. /VCG Photo
A visitor photographs herself inside the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, December 23, 2012. /VCG Photo
A visitor photographs herself inside the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, December 23, 2012. /VCG Photo
The route from the church to Jerusalem, known as the Pilgrimage Route, has been celebrated as the path Joseph and Mary made during their trip to Bethlehem, and is followed by believers nowadays.
The Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route in Bethlehem are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the List of World Heritage in Danger.
What are the cultural elements that best represent Asia? Follow up the "Know Asia Better" series. It will offer you a glimpse of 47 Asian countries, through architecture, art or cultural figures to show you a diversified Asia that you may never have noticed before. Themed in the exchanges and mutual learning among Asian civilizations and building a community with a share future for mankind, the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations will be held in Beijing in May.
(Top image designer: Fan Chenxiao)