Nea Ekklesia of the Theotokos, Byzantine church ruins in Jerusalem, Israel
The Nea Ekklesia of the Theotokos is a Byzantine church ruin in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, built from large stone blocks. Only parts of the apse and some foundations remain today, visible in excavation sites beneath modern structures.
Emperor Justinian I had the church built in the 6th century, and it was consecrated in 543 as one of the largest Christian buildings in the Near East at that time. Persian forces destroyed it almost entirely in 614 during their invasion of Jerusalem.
The church served as a gathering place for pilgrims and believers in early Christian Jerusalem. It stood among other holy sites that shaped the spiritual life of the city.
The remaining ruins are in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City and are partly accessible through excavation areas built into existing structures. Sturdy footwear is a good idea since the ground around the exposed sections can be uneven.
The church also housed a hospice with beds for sick and traveling pilgrims, which was unusual for a religious building of that period. Parts of these annexes were uncovered during excavations in the 1970s beneath what is now the Jewish Quarter.
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