Wadi Qelt
Wadi Qelt is a valley 20km east of Jerusalem.
Gazelles and hyraxes live there like in holy bibles. Even flowers broom in spring.
The late-5th century the Monastery of St.George (reconstructed between 1878 and 1901), a monastery of the Greek Orthodox, stands on the edge of a cliff.
Here in Wadi Qelt, there is also Herod’s Winter Palace built in the 1st century BC.
It’s said that there existed the oldest synagogue in the world at Herod’s Winter Palace.
The Monastery of St.George
- Sun-Fri 9:00-12:00/14:00-16:00
- Admission free
It is considered that the prophet Elijah lived in a cave of this land. And also, Joachim (the father of Mary) heard from an angel that his wife Anne conceived Mary here.
History of Monastery of St.George
The monastery was built in about the 5th century. After George of Choziba came and moved here, the place started to be considered an important monastery for the Greek orthodox.
Though the place was abandoned after the attack by Persia in 614, it was rebuilt in 1179 during the Crusades era.
When Isram retook Palestine against the Crusades, the monastery was abandoned again. The Greek orthodox monks moved here in 1878 and reconstructed it by 1901.
Most interiors are from recent years but remain some mosaics from the Crusades era.
Herod’s Winter Palace
- Any time
- Admission free
Herod the Great built a kingdom in the 1st century BC under the protection of the Roman empire and made this palace here for his winter resort. He used three palaces as a big villa.
