Christmas Church, Religious site in Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories.
The Christmas Church is a Lutheran church built from 1886 to 1891 to a design by German architect August Orth, with construction carried out by Palestinian stonemasons. Its tower is topped by a cone resembling the headdress worn by local women in the 19th century. The stained-glass windows, ordered from Germany, show the Nativity, the Flight into Egypt and the Passion, with German Bible quotations.
The Lutheran congregation was founded in 1854 by German missionaries, and a German school opened on the site in 1860. Construction of the church began in 1886 with funding from German-descended Americans in Philadelphia, and the building was finished in 1891. Because Ottoman authorities in Istanbul withheld permission, it opened only in 1893, after Empress Augusta Victoria obtained the permit.
The church serves as a center for Christian worship and pilgrimage, with regular services conducted throughout the year for local congregants and visitors.
The church stands on the northern edge of Bethlehem's old centre, a short walk from Manger Square, and is reached on foot through the surrounding streets. The Ottoman permit authorising worship is kept inside the building, and the tower cross base was damaged by an earthquake in February 2004.
The dimension stone used in the exterior walls creates varying patterns and color effects as sunlight strikes them from different angles throughout the day. This optical quality gives the facade a dynamic appearance that shifts with the changing light.
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