The Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth
A commemorative postage stamp on Nazareth, a city in Israel :
Issued by Israel
Issued on 18 Dec, 1986
Issued for : This stamp is issued along with other stamps brought out by the Israel Philatelic Services in honour of the non-Jewish population of Israel. Examples of other such stamps are – the al-Jazzar Mosque in Akko; the Tomb of Nabi Sabalan in Hurfeish and the ISRAPHIL 85 souvenir sheet of the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall.
These stamps express the freedom of worship for all, which is a corner-stone of the Israel democracy.
Designer : A. Berg
Type : Stamp, Postal Used
Colour : Multi colour
Denomination : 70 agorot
About :
- Nazareth, an old city in the heart of Lower Galilee, has many tourist attractions and many points of interest for pilgrims. Its name is not mentioned in the Old Testament but appears several times in the New Testament and in non-Christian sources from the third and fourth centuries. For hundreds of millions of Christians, Nazareth is the cradle of the origin of their faith as, according to the Christian religion, it was here that Mary was annunciated on the birth of her son and it was here that he spent his formative years.
- The town has gone through many historical phases; more than once it has been conquered, destroyed and rebuilt. During recent years Nazareth has developed and become the centre of Galilee where many tourists and pilgrims come to see the holy sites of Christianity and other religions such as the Grotto of the Annunciation and the Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation, Mary’s Well, St. Joseph’s Church, Greek Orthodox Churches and also smaller churches, monasteries, seminaries and mosques of which the most important are the White Mosque and the Mosque of Peace. Nazareth is also a good base for visitors to the holy and historical sites which are in the vicinity, like Zippori and Kfar–Kanna, Mount Tabor and sites around the Sea of Galilee.
- The Basilica of the Annunciation – the Franciscan Basilica, which is shown on the stamp, is located in the centre of Nazareth and impresses one with its architectural beauty. Its rebuilding was initiated by the franciscan fathers of the custody of the Holy Land during the 1960s above the Grotto of the Annunciation and on the remains of old churches that had been built above the cave during different historical periods. Pope Paul VI visited the Church during his visit to Nazareth in 1964. The Church was planned by the Italian architect Giovani Muzio and built by the “Solel Boneh” Company. The Basilica is made up of two parts – the lower part which includes the Annunciation Grotto and different old remains, and the upper part which is crowned with a dome which resembles an inverted rose, the roots of which reach up to 60 m. Inside the Church there is a large mosaic depicting the Madonna, the Mother of the Church, which can be seen above the main altar. The inside walls of the Church are adorned by several mosaics – gifts from different countries round the world.
- Antoine Shaheen, Nazareth
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