Israel and You Spaces and Places in Israel
Imagine naming a church after a general! There is such a church, a Russian Orthodox church right here in Jerusalem. The Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky is one of the well known shrines within the city of Jerusalem. The walls are decorated with Orthodox icons. Roman and Byzantine foundations, walls and stairway were preserved within the church.
- Archaeologists assume that this was one of two triumphal gates existing in 2nd-century CE Jerusalem.
- The Russian Orthodox church believes that this was the entrance to the Roman forum.
- Some assume that the staircase led to the 4th century Byzantine Church of the Holy Sepulcher, as depicted in the 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land found in Madaba, Jordan.
The church is named after the Russian’s prince named Alexander Yaroulavitz who expelled Swedish and German invaders from the Russia in the 13th century. He took a new surname, Nevsky, derived from a river called Narva which is the same spot the Swedish were defeated. Alexander Nevsky was the patron saint of Czar Alexander III, who promoted Russian building in Jerusalem during the 19th century.
The doors of the church are usually locked. Just ring the bell located at the entrance and you will be allowed to enter. There is a small entrance fee.
Address: Next to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in the Shuk HaTzvaim
