The Church of the Annunciation, sometimes also referred to as the Basilica of the Annunciation, is a Catholic church in Nazareth, in northern Israel. It was established over what Catholic tradition holds to be the site of the house of the Virgin Mary, and where the angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that she would conceive and bear the Son of God, Jesus – an event known as the Annunciation.
Under Canon Law, the church enjoys the status of a minor basilica. A historically significant site, considered sacred within some circles of Christianity, particularly Catholicism, and the basilica attracts many Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox Christian visitors every year.
Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land for the Great Jubilee of 2000 and celebrated Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation on March 25, 2000.
The current Catholic Church is a two-storey building finished in 1969 over the site of earlier churches from the Byzantine, Crusader, and the Israeli -period churches.
Lower church
The lower level contains the Grotto of the Annunciation, believed by many Christians to be the remains of the original childhood home of Mary.
Upper church
The upper level contains a number of images of Mary, mainly mosaics, each from a different country with significant Catholic population.
Gallery
1- Catholic Mass at the Grotto of the Annunciation (lower level of the church).
2- Japanese mosaic of Madonna and Child, in the upper church.
3- Front door of the church, depicting major events in Jesus' life.
4- Night view of the Basilica.
5- Mosaic from Ukraine in the church courtyard
6- Mosaic depicting the Virgin of Candelaria (patron saint of the Canary Islands).
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