Tomb of Mary

Located at the foot of the Mount of Olives across the street from the Church of All nations and Garden of Gethsemane, Mary’s Tomb at the Church of Assumption. Built into an underground rock-cut cave during the 1st century AD. In the 6th century an octagonal shaped Church was built on the upper level but later destroyed during the Persian invasion in 614 AD. The Crusaders also built a large church on the upper level of the monastery, which was surrounded by a wall, and a monastery - St. Mary's Abbey of the Valley of Jehoshaphat - during the Crusader period. There was also an entrance to the church and a staircase in the Crusaders' church. The structure was completely destroyed by Saladin (1187), and all that remained were the south entrance and staircase. The existing Church is managed by the Greek Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church. While the entrance gate and Facade dates back to the 12th Century Crusader Basilica, the few steps in the entrance are new and intended to prevent floods. Forty seven steps lead down to the depths of the cave to the tomb but there are also several graves half way down. A chapel houses the graves of Mary’s parents Joachim and Anne. To the right of the cross shaped underground hall is the Chapel of Mary's Tomb. a small aedicule houses a stone bench on which Mary’s body is believed to have lain. The aedicule is richly decorated with Eastern Orthodox icons, candlesticks and flowers, but the interior is bare The site is also venerated by Muslims because Muslim tradition holds that Muhammad saw a light over the tomb of his “sister Mary” during his Night Journey to Jerusalem. In the wall to the right of the Tomb of Mary is a Mihrab niche giving the direction of Mecca. It was installed after Saladin’s conquest in the 12th century.