MECMiddle East
Churches
CHURCH BUILDING

Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Virgin

Jerusalem · Old City

A brief history

Patriarch Maximos III Mazloum inaugurated the Melkite cathedral and patriarchal residence in 1848. The complex reflects the nineteenth-century consolidation of the Melkite Greek Catholic presence in Jerusalem. Its dedication honours the Annunciation; it is not a claim that Gabriel’s announcement to Mary occurred in this building.

An interesting detail

The cathedral’s founder had added Jerusalem to his patriarchal title in 1838, a decade before inaugurating the new cathedral and residence there.

Bible connections

Luke 1:26–38

Sources & directions