Church of Gethsemane
The church, situated at the heart of the Garden of Gethsemane in the lower reaches of the Mount of Olives, is renowned in Jerusalem as one of the most exquisite churches in the Holy Land. Its name originates from the Aramaic language, signifying the garden where, according to Christian tradition in the New Testament, Jesus Christ prayed his final prayer before his arrest and subsequent crucifixion by the Romans.
Known as the Church of All Nations, or the Church of Agony, this Franciscan church dates back to 1666 AD. It earned the name "All Nations" because sixteen Catholic countries contributed to its establishment between 1919 and 1924. Designed by the celebrated Italian monk and architect Antonio Barlucchi, the current church was erected atop the remains of a Byzantine church from the late fourth century and a Crusader church that was demolished in 1187.
The Garden of Gethsemane
The Garden of Gethsemane, situated at the base of the Mount of Olives overlooking the Kidron Valley and Al-Aqsa Mosque, derives its name from the Aramaic term meaning "oil press." It was here that Jesus Christ prayed before his betrayal, where Judas Iscariot kissed and betrayed him, leading to his arrest by Pilate. The orchard spans approximately seven hundred square meters and today houses some of the oldest perennial olive trees in existence, with the oldest estimated to be several hundred or possibly thousands of years old.