Between 1919 until 1924 an impressive Roman Catholic church of the Franciscan order named "Church of the Transfiguration" was built on the peak of Mount Tabor. The architect who designed the church, among many other more in the Holy Land, was Antonio Barluzzi. The church was built upon the ruins of a Byzantine church from the fifth or sixth century and a Crusader church from the 12th century, which was built in honor of[dubious ] Tancred, Prince of Galilee. The friars of the church live next to the church in a monastery established in 1873.
The church consists of three naves which are separated by two rows of columns supporting arches. In the two bell towers on either side of the entrance, there are two chapels. The northern chapel is dedicated to Moses and it contains an image of him receiving the Tables of the Law on Mount Sinai, and the southern chapel is dedicated to Elijah the prophet and it contains an image of him invoking God during his confrontation with the Ba'al prophets on Mount Carmel.
In the upper part of the church, above the altar, there is a mosaic which depicts the Transfiguration, and on the Transfiguration holiday on August 6, it is illuminated by the sun beams which are reflected by a glass plate located on the floor of the church.
A rock near the entrance of the church has an engraving in ancient Greek and beside it there is an engraving of a cross. Nearby there are the remains of the monastery of San Salvatore (Monastère St Salvador)[dubious ], which was established by the Benedictines in 1101. (Wikipedia)
Next stop - Jerusalem! More specifically The Mount of Olives. This is the first view of Jerusalem that the pilgrimage team has seen - what a thrill!
Photo cred to Terry:
The small gold dome that you seen in the distance over Terry's head is Dome of the Rock. More details on that in the next few days.
Sorry this is out of order!
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