St. Gabriel's Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
St. Gabriel's Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
St. Gabriel's Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
4.5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
198 reviews
Excellent
106
Very good
80
Average
10
Poor
2
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0
Brun066
Florence, Italy11,894 contributions
Aug 2022
Those who visit the places of Christian worship in Israel and in the Palestinian territories, easily perceive that throughout history, bitter disputes have pitted the different Christian confessions against each other, and in particular the Catholics and the Orthodox.
Nazareth is no exception. Here there are two sanctuaries commemorating the places where Mary would have received the announcement of her divine pregnancy for the first time from the Archangel Gabriel. Catholics locate this spot in Mary's former home, the Orthodox at the source - the only perennial one in the city - where Mary, like the entire population, went to draw water.
A church must have been built on this source since the time of Emperor Constantine (beginning of the 4th century AD), but after repeated destructions, the one that appears to us today - equipped with a characteristic stone perimeter wall - dates back to 1750. It isn't therefore modern like the homologous Catholic church, but it isn't even as ancient as it might seem.
However the underground parts, adjacent to the source, strongly evocative, are much older: the destruction didn't concern the subsoil level.
It's interesting to note that in 1750 the Ottoman governor entrusted the management of the new church to the local Arab Orthodox Christians, rather than to the Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem.
Overall, this church seemed to me the most evocative of those in Nazareth.
Nazareth is no exception. Here there are two sanctuaries commemorating the places where Mary would have received the announcement of her divine pregnancy for the first time from the Archangel Gabriel. Catholics locate this spot in Mary's former home, the Orthodox at the source - the only perennial one in the city - where Mary, like the entire population, went to draw water.
A church must have been built on this source since the time of Emperor Constantine (beginning of the 4th century AD), but after repeated destructions, the one that appears to us today - equipped with a characteristic stone perimeter wall - dates back to 1750. It isn't therefore modern like the homologous Catholic church, but it isn't even as ancient as it might seem.
However the underground parts, adjacent to the source, strongly evocative, are much older: the destruction didn't concern the subsoil level.
It's interesting to note that in 1750 the Ottoman governor entrusted the management of the new church to the local Arab Orthodox Christians, rather than to the Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem.
Overall, this church seemed to me the most evocative of those in Nazareth.
Written 2 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eileen108
Mount Shasta, CA4,245 contributions
Nov 2022
Really beautiful small-ish church with a flow of water, well-protected, that has been there for 2,000 years! Definitely a must-do on every Holy Land tour.
Written 18 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia12,897 contributions
Oct 2022
The Annunciation is pivotal event in the history of the Christian Church. Here the Angel Gabriel told the Blessed Virgin Mary that she had been chosen to carry the Christ Child. Mary had to agree, she was not obligated to be the Mother of God. Without Mary, there would have been no Jesu
Written 28 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tony C
Bedford, UK1,139 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
Not a must see but if you are in Nazareth I would recommend that you give this a visit; you will only need 30 minutes.
We visited early morning when we witnessed a live mass which added to the visit.
As ever there is a queue to see the main feature. It shouldn’t be long
We visited early morning when we witnessed a live mass which added to the visit.
As ever there is a queue to see the main feature. It shouldn’t be long
Written 24 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PatMurff
Ballymoney, UK602 contributions
Oct 2022
This is a beautiful little church which is redolent of history and tradition. The iconostasis is exquisitely carved from dark brown wood. Icons of the highest quality adorn this slightly austere masterpiece. The whole church is filled with incense and atmosphere. On the wall opposite the entrance, some steps descend to the well which at one time was the only water supply for the village of Nazareth. This being the case it seems to be a certainty that a youthful Mary would have drawn water from this well to service the needs of her family. A water tank and tap aid pilgrims who wish to take away some of the water. A second well stands in a square nearby, but this is dried up and is generally speaking a shabby, dirty and ill maintained site in sharp contrast to this elegant and humble church. The walls and ceilings are covered in religious paintings. These are bright and beautifully executed. This is a lovely church and truly worth a visit.
Written 20 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
B T
London, UK1,140 contributions
Mar 2022
There are beautiful coloured wall painting on the inside of the church that are nice to see. The church doesn't look much from the outside but it is interesting to see, it has more character than the catholic basilica of the annunciation a few mins walk away as that is a much newer church.
Written 20 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Flore
Arad, Romania1,659 contributions
Feb 2020
This is a Greek Orthodox church, but it has the interior painted by Romanian painters. The whole building assembly is well taken care of, everything is clean and pleasing to the eyes. Don't miss to see Mary's Well, which is located outside the church yard, on the right.
Written 10 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hank H
Virginia473 contributions
Jan 2020
I very much appreciated the opportunity to visit this old Orthodox church with beautiful icons and painted walls. It's different from my tradition but it gave me newfound appreciation for Orthodox spirituality.
TIP: Don't miss the adjacent Mary's Well site.
TIP: Don't miss the adjacent Mary's Well site.
Written 2 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Suslik
Lviv, Ukraine18 contributions
Jan 2020
Small Greek Orthodocs Old Church, with a lot of icons and nice atmosphere in it. Very old walls and passages inside, with much History. Right next to the Church stands a New Christmas Tree, and around it - Great Celebration of Eastern Church's Christmas.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sergo_il
Haifa, Israel329 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
This is a small peaceful church with interesting interior and iconography. There is a spring well which Mary took water from, inside the church. Very interesting and unusual
Written 4 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rose J
Portland, OR263 contributions
Does anyone know what the visiting hours would be for Saturday Nov. 3rd and Sunday Nov. 4th? If you know mass hours for those days I'd appreciate that information too. We know mass most likely won't be in English but if possible would like to attend one. Thank-you, Rose
jean448
Petah Tiqwa, Israel39 contributions
Nobody knows, because they don't advert their telephone number. If you don't mind visiting a Catholic Mass, visit Basilica of the Annunciation site, they always answer the phone. God Bless.
BlackBlackPanther
42 contributions
What is the working hours of the church in summer time?
Afonin Vladimir
Moscow, Russia566 contributions
Apr. on Sept.: 08:30 - 11:45 and 14:00 to 18:00. Fri.: 08:00 - 15:00 Entrance: free.
St. Gabriel's Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth
Frequently Asked Questions about St. Gabriel's Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
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- Hotels near St. Gabriel's Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation:
- (0.04 km) Villa Nazareth Hotel
- (0.12 km) Miriam guest house
- (0.13 km) Miriam Guest House - short term rental - Nazareth
- (0.32 km) Al Hakim Boutique Hotel Nazareth Old Town
- (0.33 km) Al-Mutran Guest House
- Restaurants near St. Gabriel's Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation:
- (0.04 km) Cafe Greg
- (0.06 km) Samir Abu Hummus
- (0.10 km) Rosemary
- (0.08 km) Bayat Restaurant
- (0.19 km) Tishreen