Church of the Annunciation
The Crusader church was built on the site of a destroyed Byzantine church. It was bigger than the Byzantine structure, consisting of three aisles and six bays, probably with a crossing covered by a dome fronting three apses.
In 1187, the church was used as a refuge by the Christian inhabitants of Nazareth after the Battle of the Horns of Hattin. They were massacred anyway by Saladin’s army. Saladin allowed clergy to return to the church in 1192, but it was razed to the ground by the emir of Baybars.
The Franciscans rebuilt the church in 1730. In 1969, the modern-day structure replaced the Franciscan church.
The Church of Annunciation commemorates the angel Gabriel telling Mary that she was pregnant with Jesus. Roman Catholic tradition holds that this event took place in a cave in Nazareth, and the church was built accordingly. Greek Orthodox Christians believe the event occurred near a spring in Nazareth, where the Church of St. Gabriel commemorates the same event.
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