Excursion «545. The Christian North in Christmas Lights»

Nazareth, is the third most important city for Christians after Jerusalem and Bethlehem, here the childhood and youth of Jesus Christ passed. Nazareth got its name from the Hebrew word "netzer" - a branch, although in modern Hebrew this word is not used to denote a branch. Nazareth was first mentioned in the Gospel.
According to archaeological excavations, there used to be an agricultural settlement, where only a few families lived, including the holy family (the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph and Jesus Christ). The significant Christian shrine in Nazareth is undoubtedly the grotto of the Annunciation, over which the Temple of the Annunciation was erected. In the vicinity of the city there are: Sepphoris National Park - the parental home of Mary, the remains of the Crusader fortress and other archaeological sites.
It is because of this that Jesus is called “ha-Nozri,” which means Nazarene.

Thanks to the Roman emperor Constantine the Great and his mother Elena,  were built churches on the territory of the Holy Land celebrating the main gospel events: the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth.  According to the Christian tradition, Mary lived here exactly when the archangel Gabriel announced the good news about the birth of the messiah, thats why this place it seems to be unique.
The modern church was erected in 1969 and is the largest Catholic church in the entire Middle East. The church consists of two levels, the lower level is the grotto, where, upon giving, was Virgin Mary during the Annunciation. You should pay attention to the frescoes that have come down to us from the past and miraculously preserving their almost original appearance.
In the grotto there is a throne with a marble circle, where the message is written in Latin: "Verbum caro hic factum est" - "Here your word has become flesh."

The quarter, which in Hebrew is called “Moshava Germanit”, was built about 150 years ago by protestant Templars, who moved from Germany to Palestine. The devout Germans changed their native places for the semi-wild Middle East for a certain reason. With their presence and creative hard work on the Promised Land, they expected to speed up the second coming of Christ. Of course, that did not work out. But Haifa obviously benefited from the German "expedition" – hear appeared one of the most comfortable urban areas with gingerbread houses, wine cellars and good hookahs. Perhaps this is the best place in the whole city for walking and shopping.

Try to describe Haifa in a few words, and... and you will fail. You can travel to this city alone or with the family. It does not matter how old you are, what kind of relaxation you prefer and what impressions you long for. No one will feel bored here. No wonder they say that "Haifa is full of high".

Founded in a time before remembering and known since the Roman era, today's Haifa is a metropolis. It proudly bears two honorary titles: the country's main port and northern capital.

There are two must see objects in the city – small and huge one. The first is the underground funicular train. The tiniest in the world! It has a poetic name – "Carmelit." All because the train rolls through the tunnel, penetrating the Mount Carmel.

The second is a huge Bahai temple, the domes of which can be seen from everywhere in the city, and its gardens. Baha'i faith is one of the world’s youngest monotheistic religions.