Location and Origin
Located a few meters south of al-Zawiyya al-As’adiyah on the street to Shayyah, the Church of Pater Noster is among the prominent churches of the Mount of Olives, where Jesus Christ taught his disciples how to pray. It is also among the oldest churches of the Holy Land, like the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Nativity Church in Bethlehem. It was built by Emperor Constantine and Empress Helena, who concentrated on three caves: the Nativity, the Burial, and the cave where Christ taught his disciples how to pray. This church was built as a basilica, with orthogonal arcades. The remains of the church are still visible, with an adjacent monastery and the cave where Christ taught his disciples how to pray.
Components of the Current Church
The church entrance leads to descending stairs and an open courtyard, exhibiting a basilica plan of three wings. To the east is a cave entered from the north and exited from the south, leading to a gallery and a convent ornamented with ceramic tiles, carrying prayers from the Holy Scripture in 62 languages. Walking down the portico, the visitor arrives at a modern church (1868 AD) and the tomb of Princess de la Tour d’Auvergne (1857 AD).
