nativity church=2016 world heritage site

Church of the Nativity

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For other uses, see Church of the Nativity (disambiguation).

Church of the Nativity
The interior of the Church of the Nativity circa 1936, photographed by Lewis Larsson
Basic information
Location	Bethlehem, West Bank
Geographic coordinates	31°42′15.50″N 35°12′27.50″E / 31.7043056°N 35.2076389°ECoordinates: 31°42′15.50″N 35°12′27.50″E / 31.7043056°N 35.2076389°E
Affiliation	Shared: Greek Orthodox Church, Armenian Apostolic Church, and Roman Catholic Church with minor Coptic Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox rights[1]
Status	Active
Architectural description
Architectural type	Byzantine (Constantine the Great and Justinian I)
Architectural style	Romanesque
Groundbreaking	325
Completed	565
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name: Birthplace of Jesus: the Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem
Type	Cultural Heritage
Criteria	iv, vi
Designated	2012[2]
Reference no.	1433
State Party	State of Palestine
Region	Western Asia

Armenian monastery (right) and facade of the Church of the Nativity (left, small)

The Church of the Nativity, also Basilica of the Nativity (Arabic: كَنِيسَةُ ٱلْمَهْد‎; Greek: Βασιλική της Γεννήσεως; Armenian: Սուրբ Ծննդյան տաճար; Latin: Basilica Nativitatis) is a basilica located in Bethlehem in the West Bank. The grotto it contains holds a prominent religious significance to Christians of various denominations as the birthplace of Jesus. The grotto is the oldest site continuously used as a place of worship in Christianity, and the basilica is the oldest major church in the Holy Land.
The church was originally commissioned in 327 by Constantine the Great and his mother Helena on the site that was traditionally considered to be the birthplace of Jesus. That original basilica was completed sometime between 333-339. It was destroyed by fire during the Samaritan revolts of the 6th century, and a new basilica was built in 565 by Byzantine Emperor Justinian, who restored the architectural tone of the original.^[3]
The Church of the Nativity, while remaining basically unchanged since the Justinian reconstruction, has seen numerous repairs and additions, especially from the Crusader period, such as two bell towers (now gone), wall mosaics and paintings (partially preserved).^[4] Over the centuries, the surrounding compound has been expanded, and today it covers approximately 12,000 square meters, comprising three different monasteries: one Greek Orthodox, one Armenian Apostolic, and one Roman Catholic,^[5] of which the first two contain bell-towers built during the modern era.^[4]
The silver star marking the spot where Christ was born was stolen in 1847. Some assert that this was a contributing factor in the Crimean War against the Russian Empire;^[6] Others assert that the war grew out of the wider European situation.^[7]
The Church of the Nativity is a World Heritage site and was the first to be listed under Palestine by UNESCO.^[8] The site is also on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.^[9]
The status quo of Holy Land sites is a 250-year old understanding among religious communities that applies to the site.^[10][11]

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