![](http://www.alamy.com/thumbs/6/FD887EC2-36F0-4DE2-B785-4F382154C957/CN8BNX.jpg)
First published 1914 Nativity Grotto Bethlehem Jerusalem
Mosque of Omar Church of the Holy Sepulchre Muristan. Siege of Jerusalem 637 Rashidun army command Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, Patriarch Sophronius surrender Caliph Omar 579-644 pray Church, David Ayyubid Sultan al-Afdal bin Saladin 1193 CE minaret 1465 CE Ottoman sultan Abdulmecid I 1839–1860. The Church of the Nativity is a basilica located in Bethlehem, Palestinian territories, and is considered to be the oldest continuously operating Christian church in the world. The church was originally commissioned in 327 AD by Constantine and his mother Helena over the site that is still traditionally considered to be located over the cave that marks the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth. The Church of the Nativity site's original basilica was completed in 339 AD and destroyed by fire during the Samaritan Revolts in the sixth century AD. A new basilica was built 565 AD by the Byzantine Empire, restoring the architectural tone of the original.[4] The site of the Church of the Nativity has had numerous additions since this second construction, including its prominent bell towers. Due to its cultural and geographical history, the site holds a prominent religious significance to those of both the Christian and Muslim faiths. The site of the Church of the Nativity is a World Heritage Site, and was the first to be listed under Palestine by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO The site is also on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites in Danger
Size: 3491px × 2541px
Photo credit: © SOTK2011 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -fashioned, 0riginal, 327, 565, 637, 1193, 1465, 1839–1860., 1914, 20th, 2d, 579-644, abdulmecid, abu, academic, ad, age, aged, al-afdal, al-jarrah, ancient, antiquarian, antique, antiquity, army, art, artistic, ayyubid, basilica, bethlehem, bin, birthplace, black, book, bw, bygone, byzantine, caliph, ce, century, christian, church, color, colour, constantine, copy, david, dot, drawing, empir, empire, figure, formal, front, graphic, grotto, halftone, helena, heritage, historic, historical, history, holy, ibn, illustrated, illustration, image, jerusalem, jesus, master, minaret, monotone, mosque, muristan., national, nativity, nazareth., obscure, obsolete, oldest, omar, ottoman, palestinian, paper, patriarch, period, photo, photograph, pictorial, picture, portrait, pray, pre, press, print, printed, printing, publication, publicity, published, rare, rashidun, real, realism, realistic, reference, relief, replica, represent, repro, reproduce, reproduction, retro, romantic, saladin, screen, sepulchre, siege, social, sophronius, standard, studio, style, sultan, territories, time, title, ubaidah, unusual, vintage, white