A large stone tower can be seen from the entrance of the American School for Archaeological Research, a few dozen meters north. It is the tower of St. George’s Cathedral, our next station in the Mosaic Trail. To arrive there, one should walk until the end of Salah al-Din Street and the beginning of Nablus Street. After admiring the tower from among the trees, with its high buildings and four conical corners topped by crosses, one should turn left (south) on Nablus Street. A few meters on, on the right side, an entrance with a pointed arch can be seen. This is the entrance to the St. George’s Cathedral, or what is known in Palestinian circles as the Bishop’s school and cathedral. This is actually a large compound which includes a hostel, a church, a tower, sports facilities, a large school, and other services. The main archaeological features are in the entrance and the church.
First Impression
Going through the entrance, the visitor will immediately recognize the modern, Gothic architectural style of 19th century Europe, typical of Oxford and British Anglican buildings. The design of the tower, thecourtyard and the surroundings give the impression that they were transplanted from a church in the British countryside.
Architectural Features
After passing through a triple-arch entrance, visitors find themselves in an open square courtyard surrounded by three corridors with ornamented windows. In the middle of the square is a cylindrical column sitting on a base, topped by a Corinthian-style crown holding a stone globe with a cross on top. The bulkiness of the building and its concentrated mass can be seen from the pillars supporting the walls, the levels of multi-arches and the double-pillars supporting these arches, as well as the balconies in the upper part of the building and the bell tower of the church.
