Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Jerusalem

In the 1880s, Tsar Alexander III had this Russian Orthodox church raised in memory of his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna (known before her marriage as Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine) who died before his second birthday. Set amid trees, its seven gilded onion domes, each topped by a tall golden cross, are among the most striking features of the skyline seen from the Old City. These and other architectural features are in 16th- to 17th-century Muscovite style. The interior has several murals that depict the life of Mary Magdalene, the first recorded witness of Christ's resurrection.

Completely in harmony with the entourage, St. Mary Magdalene's is a striking contrast to others in Jerusalem and is worth looking out for when scanning the Mount of Olives. To this day it is the final resting place for Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia who was martyred along with her fellow nun, Varvara Yakovleva, during the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Also buried here is Princess Alice of Battenberg, responsible for harboring Jews when the Nazis occupied her country, in order to help keep them alive.

Opening Hours:
Tue, Thu: 10am-12pm

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and someone10x.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Jerusalem. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from iTunes App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Church of St. Mary Magdalene
Sight Location: Jerusalem, Israel (See walking tours in Jerusalem)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Mount of Olives Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Jerusalem, Israel

Create Your Own Walk in Jerusalem

Creating your own self-guided walk in Jerusalem is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Jewish Quarter Walking Tour

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles

Jerusalem Old City Walking Tour

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, the Old City of Jerusalem is best explored on foot, since its narrow streets and alleys make it almost an entirely vehicle-free zone. In addition to hosting four ethnic quarters, – Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Armenian – it is packed with major historical and religious sites, which all make a trip here unique, unforgettable and not to be missed.

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles

Following Steps of Jesus Walking Tour

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles

Armenian Quarter Walking Tour

Smaller and quieter than the Old City's other three quarters, the Armenian quarter contains a series of winding cobblestoned streets and alleyways teeming with people, shops, coffee stands, ceramic workshops and hookah bars. A city in miniature with distinct language, alphabet and culture, it has been in place since the 4th century, when Armenia adopted Christianity as a national religion.
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles

Mount of Olives Walking Tour

Aside from affording great views over the Old City, the Mount of Olives is home to half a dozen major sites of the Christian faith along with the oldest Jewish burial ground in the world. Considered a holy spot by many, it is associated with numerous events in Jesus’ life including ascending to Heaven and teaching his disciples the Lord’s Prayer.

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.3 Km or 0.8 Miles

Mount Scopus Walking Tour

Dotted with many sightseeing places, Mount Scopus – translating as the “Observation Mount” from Greek – is a great place to get views over the whole Old City of Jerusalem on a nice day. The mount has been of major strategic importance since Roman times, with forces setting up camp here prior to laying the siege that culminated in the final Roman victory over Jerusalem around 70 AD.... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles

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