Greek orthodox church of the annunciation in Nazareth, Israel.

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Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation

Top choice in Nazareth


According to Greek Orthodox tradition, the Annunciation took place while Mary was fetching water from the spring situated directly under this richly frescoed, 17th-century church (other denominations hold that she was at home during the Annunciation). The barrel-vaulted crypt, first constructed under Constantine (4th century CE), shelters Nazareth’s only year-round spring, a place everyone in the village obviously visited often. Check out the centuries-old graffiti carved around the outside doorway.