Church of Saint George, Lod

Church of Saint George (Arabic: كنيسة القديس جيورجوس or كنيسة مار جريس‎, Hebrew: כנסיית גאורגיוס הקדוש קוטל הדרקון) is one of the two major shrines for the fourth-century Christian martyr Saint George. The church is located in Lod, Israel.[1] The current church, built in 1870, shares space with the El-Khidr Mosque (الخضر Al-Khidr, often associated with Saint George).

Church of Saint George
Rooftop view, Lydda c. 1920
Religion
AffiliationGreek Orthodox
Location
LocationLod, Israel
Architecture
Completed1872

History

Toward the end of the nineteenth century, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem received permission from the Ottoman authorities to build a church on the site of a previous basilica. The church is built over a ruined 12th-century Crusader structure, and occupies the north end of the nave and left-hand aisle of the earlier church, from which two apses survive - which, contrary to the normal rule, face north rather than east.

The Ottoman authorities stipulated, that part of the plot be made available for a mosque. Consequently, the current Church of St. George incorporates only the northeast corner of the Byzantine basilica. The prayer hall of the adjacent mosque contains a column that once stood in the nave of the basilica.

The church crypt contains the sarcophagus of St George.

  • St George's tomb
  • Bas-relief on the sarcophagus
  • Interior

See also

References
  1. "Excursions in Terra Santa". Franciscan Cyberspot. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2007-02-22.

Further reading


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