Church of St John the Baptist

About Church of St John the Baptist

Church

The Greek Orthodox Church of Saint John the Baptist is a small church in the Muristan area of the Christian Quarter in the Old City of Al-Quds. It is one of the most ancient churches in the city: the crypt dates to the Late Roman or Byzantine period (roughly 324–500 CE), while most of the building above ground belongs to the eleventh century. Its silvery dome is easy to spot from the Muristan square, even though the entrance is tucked away and hard to find among the lanes. During the siege of the city in 1099 the church served as a hospice for the sick, a reminder of the origin of the quarter's name, Muristan, from the Persian-Arabic bimaristan, a hospital. According to Wikivoyage the church is closed to the public, but its dome and outer walls can be admired while exploring the Muristan, a few steps from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Aftimos market.

Where:

Jerusalem, Palestine