The Church of St. John the Baptist and Muristan

The Church of St. John the Baptist is the oldest church in Jerusalem and was founded around 450-460 AD by the empress Eudokia. It is possible the church was built due to the presence here of the relics of John the Baptist, which were sent to various cities in the 4th century including Jerusalem. Another tradition assumes it to be the site of the house of Zebedee, father of the apostles James and John. The church was restored by the Patriarch of Alexandria after its destruction by the Persians in 614. The church was extensively rebuilt over the original foundations in the 11th century. Aside from the modern facade with its two small bell towers, the Church of St. John the Baptist has remained mostly unchanged for almost 1,000 years. The present church was built by the merchants of Amalfi and became the headquarters of the Knights Hospitallers. In 1099, many Christian knights who were wounded during the seige of Jerusalem were cared for in this church. After their recovery, some of the grateful knights dedicated themselves to helping the sick and protecting pilgrims to the Holy Land. Calling themselves the Knights of the Hospital of St. John, they later developed into the military order of the Hospitallers, who played a key role in the defense of the Holy Land. The crypt of the church was apparently filled with debris and abandoned in 1187, after which only the upper church (the present church) was in use, probably by Greek Orthodox priests. The church seems to have become a mosque in the 16th century, but was soon returned to Greek ownership. In 1660, a large hospice for pilgrims was built adjacent to the church. In the 19th century, the crypt was cleared out and a splendid reliquary was discovered in the masonry of the altar (it is now in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Museum). Excavations also uncovered various architectural fragments from the Byzantine and Crusader eras.

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http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-church-of-st-john-the-baptist.htm

Muristan in persian means hospital. The area refers to the location of one of the oldest hospitals of Jerusalem (600 AD). Later the hospital was known as the Knights of St John (Hospitallers) or the Knights of Malta. Today the Muristan is a famous market area and eating outlet. At the center of the square you can see a 19th century fountain.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muristan