Church of Maria Magdalene
Encyclopedia
The Church of Mary Magdalene is a Russian Orthodox church located on the Mount of Olives
, near the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, Israel
.
(Miryam of Migdal), a follower of Jesus
. According to the sixteenth chapter of the gospel
of Mark
, Mary Magdalene was the first to see Christ
after his resurrection. She is considered a crucial and important disciple of Jesus
, and seemingly his primary female associate, along with Mary of Bethany, whom some believe to have been the same woman.
The church was built in 1886 by Tsar
Alexander III
to honor his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. It was constructed to David Grimm
's design in the traditional tented roof
style popular in 16th and 17th century Russia, and includes seven distinctive, gilded onion domes. The convent is located directly across the Kidron Valley
from the Temple Mount
.
,. Also interred there is Princess Alice of Greece
, who was the Grand Duchess's niece, the mother-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II and a rescuer of Jews during the Nazi occupation of Greece
.
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes...
, near the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
History
The church is dedicated to Mary MagdaleneMary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
(Miryam of Migdal), a follower of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. According to the sixteenth chapter of the gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
of Mark
Gospel of Mark
The Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second...
, Mary Magdalene was the first to see Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
after his resurrection. She is considered a crucial and important disciple of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, and seemingly his primary female associate, along with Mary of Bethany, whom some believe to have been the same woman.
The church was built in 1886 by Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
to honor his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. It was constructed to David Grimm
David Grimm
David Ivanovich Grimm was a Russian architect, educator and historian of art of Byzantine Empire, Georgia and Armenia. Grimm belonged to the second generation of Russian neo-Byzantine architects and was the author of orthodox cathedrals in Tbilisi, Chersonesos and smaller churches in Russia and...
's design in the traditional tented roof
Tented roof
A tented roof is a type of roof widely used in 16th and 17th century Russian architecture for churches. It is like a polygonal spire but differs in purpose in that it is typically used to roof the main internal space of a church, rather than an auxiliary structure...
style popular in 16th and 17th century Russia, and includes seven distinctive, gilded onion domes. The convent is located directly across the Kidron Valley
Kidron Valley
The Kidron Valley is the valley on the eastern side of The Old City of Jerusalem which features significantly in the Bible...
from the Temple Mount
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as , and in Arabic as the Haram Ash-Sharif , is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years...
.
Relics
Buried in the church are the remains of two martyred Orthodox saints, the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia and her fellow nun Varvara YakovlevaVarvara Yakovleva
Sister Varvara Yakovleva, also known as Sister Barbara Yakovleva , or simply Nun Barbara, , was a Russian Orthodox nun in the convent of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna...
,. Also interred there is Princess Alice of Greece
Princess Alice of Battenberg
Princess Alice of Battenberg, later Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark was the mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and mother-in-law of Elizabeth II....
, who was the Grand Duchess's niece, the mother-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II and a rescuer of Jews during the Nazi occupation of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
External links
- Virtual Tour of inside Church of Maria Magdalene
- Virtual Tour of Jerusalem @ jerusalem360.com - Interactive Panoramas from Israel
- Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem - Official church webpage. More data, photos