Place of worship
Tomb of the Virgin
Rock-cut Byzantine tomb reached by a candlelit stone stairway, shared in prayer by Christians and Muslims alike.
0:00≈ 2 min
Location
0:00≈ 2 min
About this audio guide
This guide to the Tomb of the Virgin in Jerusalem's Kidron Valley opens in 1187, as Saladin's soldiers tear down the Crusader church on this spot and haul its stones off to patch the city walls, then reach a staircase cut into the rock and stop. It follows the tomb tradition holds is Mary's, and an episode from Muhammad's night journey that the soldiers had in mind. Walk the forty-seven worn steps down into the Kidron Valley as you listen, past the resting place of the crusader queen Melisende on the way.
This audio guide was created using AI.