Discovering Nazaret: The Church of Annunciation
Hello everyone! It is a pleasure to make a delivery of my adventures again!
This time I traveled to a really religious place, belonging to the Catholic Church.
If anyone has had an approach to this religion, they will know that one day Mary, the mother of Jesus, received the news that she was expecting a child. According to the gospels published in the Bible, she becomes pregnant by Divine grace, being a Virgin.
The one who gives this news to Mary is the Archangel Gabriel.
The Basilica that I visited is where she would have received the good news.
How do I know this and why did I go there?
I grew up in the Catholic religion and was very practicing. Over time I began to see religions in a more holistic way, so today, the truth is that I do not resonate with the Catholic Church as such, but I rescue many teachings and values that this religion left in me.
Many times I have read about this topic, and being in Israel, I was very curious to be in the places that for me were a fairy tale since I was a child, and visiting Nazareth was the best decision I could have made.
The energy in that place is unique, and it really made me feel the sense of the Church as a building where there is love, peace, and good vibes. It has nothing to do with what it feels like in the Vatican, for example. History was breathed here.
The Basilica of the Annunciation is located in the city of Nazareth, in the north of Israel and this time we'll go a little further towards the continent since it is somewhat far from the sea.
The entry
The entry was with plenty people around, since it's a very touristic place, mostly for religious groups.
These pictures are from the outside, wherein you can see the building of the big church, and also a Mary's statue.
I have to admit that the sculpture is very beautiful and it irradieates an amazing and powerful energy.
If you start walking around, and if you go particulary to the left from where you went in, you'll find a gallery full of pictures of Mary, which has been donated as a gift from different countries. Here you have some of them.At this point it's alo important to know that the verion of Mary is diverse, according to where it come from (it's not only Anunciation Virgen).
This sculpture is between the church and the gallery. I really like it becuse you can find here a little panoramic view of Nazaret.
The Church
The next step is to go inside the Church. You can't ignore it. The door is there, so is obiou that you need to get into the place. The building belong to 1969, and it arquitecture made me remember Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (wich is much older of course).
In front of the Church, with the singn that explains that it belong to Holy Land
The door
You might be asking why I care about the door... and the thing is that this door has the story of Mary from Jesus birth to his dead. It looks very beautiful.
Inside the church
The Church has two floors, ground floor, and the first. But in addition, it has a cave going down something like half a floor.
It is immense, with a lot of space and its interior. It is totally scented with incense, an exquisite aroma that generates a lot of calm.
Lower level
The grotto
Going down a little from the ground floor, you can see the cave of Mary. Apparently this space honors the place where Maria grew up as a child, her old home.
The stairs to the second floor
The staircase caught my attention, it is built in the shape of a snail and has vitro on its sides. Its light sand color with blue, red, orange, and other glasses, generate a very striking appearance.
First floor
The first floor of the church is where the chapel itself is located to pray, celebrate masses, make confessions and other activities related to religion.
The part of the grotto and ground floor, are mainly to walk, contemplate, and enjoy from another place; but the first floor is for sitting and praying.
The back of the church
When you leave the Church you can see a beautiful almost white esplanade, it is a very light sand color and very characteristic of Nazareth, when compared to the surrounding buildings.
Some other pictures before leaving the Church
This has been all friends!! Once again it has been a pleasure to share with you such a beautiful moment!!
I hope you liked it, and whether or not you are Catholic, this post is much more linked to history than to religion. In addition, of course, to being a very nice place to simply observe it.
See you around and have a beautiful day!!
With love,
Belén
Some extra details
Camera: iPhone 12 Pro
App for video edition: InShot
Music:
Song:Light
Musician: Jeff Kaale
SoundCloud Link
https://soundcloud.com/jeff-kaale?utm_source=mobi&utm_campaign=social_sharing&utm_terms=block_background_listening_on_mobi.control
Pinmapple code: [//]:# (!pinmapple 32.702273 lat 35.297670 long Revelation moment in Annunciation Church d3scr)
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