Nazareth, Coastal town in Leiria District, Portugal
Nazareth is a city in the Jezreel Subdistrict of Israel and is considered a holy site of Christianity. The Basilica of the Annunciation rises above the grotto where, according to Christian tradition, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary, while the old town spreads across the slopes of a valley.
The town is first mentioned in the New Testament as the place where Jesus spent his childhood and youth. Later, one of the earliest Christian communities formed here before modern Nazareth grew again in the 19th century and developed into an important center for Christian Arabs.
Women wearing traditional dress with seven layered skirts in bright colors can be seen in daily life, especially on market days and during religious festivals. The shrine of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré draws pilgrims from different regions who gather before a dark wooden statue.
Most churches and pilgrimage sites sit within the old town, which is best explored on foot because the alleys are narrow and steep. Visitors coming from outside will find accommodation in different neighborhoods, while markets and restaurants concentrate mainly along the main streets.
An underground network of caves beneath the town once served as living space and storage, and some are now accessible to show how people lived here for centuries. The Synagogue Church contains a reconstruction of the old synagogue that Jesus is believed to have visited according to Christian tradition.
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