Terra Sancta Museum

07/09/2026

On the occasion of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Terra Sancta Museum highlights the Church of Saint Anne in Jerusalem, traditionally associated with the home of Saints Anne and Joachim and the birthplace of Mary.

Built by the Crusaders in the 12th century near the Pools of Bethesda, the church stands above a cave traditionally venerated as the place where the Virgin Mary was born. In the crypt, a chapel dedicated to her Nativity preserves several icons connected with this tradition. Among them, a Russian-school icon above the altar depicts the Nativity of Mary, while a smaller icon nearby shows Saints Anne and Joachim with the infant Mary.

Upstairs, a sculpture of Saint Anne with the young Mary recalls her childhood and religious upbringing. In the sanctuary, the white-stone altar, created in 1950, continues this visual narrative through reliefs depicting important moments from the lives of Mary and Christ.

Together, the cave, its icons, the sculpture, and the altar preserve a rich visual journey through Mary’s birth, childhood, and place within the Christian tradition.

Photos by: Elias Halabi – Terra Sancta Museum

06/09/2026

The Archaeology of Memories

How can archives help reconstruct places that have disappeared from Jerusalem’s landscape?

Palestinian researcher Noor Abu Khdeir explores this question through her study of agricultural production and rural society in Ottoman Palestine, connecting archival records, maps, archaeological remains, and historic photographs. Her research also led her to the archives of the Custody of the Holy Land, where a rare photograph documenting an early steam-powered grain mill in Jerusalem offered an important glimpse into the city’s social and economic history.

Noor Abu Khdeir tells the story of a Jerusalem that no longer exists: a journey through the archives to discover old steam mills and vanished oil presses.

04/09/2026

Today, the Terra Sancta Museum highlights an eighteenth-century cartagloria from Bethlehem, crafted in wood and richly inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Its elaborate decoration combines floral scrolls and geometric motifs with four medallions depicting the Flight into Egypt, the Annunciation, the Visitation, and Saint Francis before the Cross. The fine treatment of the figures, from the folds of their garments to their individual features, reveals the remarkable precision of its craftsmanship.

The image of Saint Francis before the Cross gives the object a strong Franciscan character, bringing together Bethlehem’s tradition of mother-of-pearl work with the spirituality and centuries-old presence of the Franciscans in the Holy Land.

Containing the text of the Gospel of Saint John, the cartagloria is preserved in the Convent of Saint Saviour in Jerusalem.

Photos: Giuliano Mami

01/09/2026

Today, the Terra Sancta Museum highlights the Altar of Saint Joseph and its painting in the Church of Saint Saviour in Jerusalem.

Dating to 1884, the altar is constructed in polychrome marble and enriched with classical architectural elements, including slender columns with Corinthian capitals, an elaborate entablature and an imposing pediment. At its base, a relief of the Lamb of God is set within a circular medallion.

The altarpiece was painted by Francesco Giuseppe Ciseri and completed in 1886. It depicts Saint Joseph asleep beside his worktable as the Angel of the Lord appears to him. The composition is a free interpretation of the same subject painted around a decade earlier by his father, Antonio Ciseri.

The altar and its painting form part of the artistic decoration commissioned for Saint Saviour during the 1880s, with Fr. Remigio Buselli, Commissary of the Holy Land in Tuscany, overseeing the selection of artists and the ex*****on of the marble works.

Painting Photo: Gali Tibbon
Altar Photos: Elias Halabi – Terra Sancta Museum

25/08/2026

Today, the Terra Sancta Museum highlights the Altar of Saint Thomas in the Church of Saint Saviour in Jerusalem.

Located in the right nave beside the presbytery, the altar is crafted in polychrome marble and enriched with classical elements, including dark-marble columns with Corinthian capitals, an imposing pediment, and the Franciscan coat of arms at its base.

At its center is The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, painted in 1885 by Antonio Ciseri. The scene depicts the encounter between the Risen Christ and Saint Thomas, with particular attention to the expressions of the figures and the flowing blue mantle of Christ.

The marble altar dates to 1884 and is possibly connected with Fr. Remigio Buselli, Commissary of the Holy Land in Tuscany, who was involved in overseeing the church’s altars and decoration.

Like other works preserved at Saint Saviour, the altar reflects how the artistic heritage connected with the Terra Sancta Museum extends beyond its galleries and remains present in churches throughout the Holy Land.

Photos: Elias Halabi - Terra Sancta Museum
Painting Photo: Gali Tibbon

21/08/2026

For the Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Terra Sancta Museum highlights The Coronation of the Virgin by Francesco De Mura (1696–1782).

Painted around 1730, the work shows Mary kneeling as Christ and God the Father crown her, while the Holy Spirit appears above in the form of a dove. The scene expresses Mary’s heavenly Queenship.

The painting belongs to an important cycle commissioned from De Mura for the Holy Places, depicting episodes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary. Today, The Coronation of the Virgin is preserved in the Church of Saint Catherine in Bethlehem.

Photos: Elias Halabi - Terra Sancta Museum

18/08/2026

Today, the Terra Sancta Museum highlights the Altar of the Sacred Heart in the Church of Saint Saviour in Jerusalem.

Located at the end of the right nave, the altar is crafted in polychrome marble and enriched with classical architectural elements, including slender columns with Corinthian capitals and a relief of the Sacred Heart at its base.

At its center is a painting of Christ presenting the Sacred Heart, dated 1885, forming the principal devotional image of the altar.

An inscription at the base of the altar, dated 1884, reads: “France of the Crusaders, as an expression of gratitude, love, and reparation.” It reflects the devotional character and historical context in which the altar was created.

The marble work was connected with Fr. Remigio Buselli, Commissary of the Holy Land in Tuscany, who played an important role in overseeing the artists and the ex*****on of the church’s altars and their decoration.

Like other works preserved at Saint Saviour, the altar reflects how the artistic heritage connected with the Terra Sancta Museum extends beyond its galleries and remains present in churches throughout the Holy Land.

Photos: Elias Halabi - Terra Sancta Museum

14/08/2026

Ahead of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated tomorrow, 15 August, we turn to Gethsemane in Jerusalem, where the Custody of the Holy Land marks this ancient Christian feast.

The celebration has particular significance here because Gethsemane lies very close to the Tomb of the Virgin Mary, where, according to Christian tradition, her body was laid before her Assumption into heaven.

The recumbent statue of Mary, prepared for the feast, recalls the ancient tradition of her Dormition, her repose at the end of her earthly life, and her passage into heavenly glory.

Each year, the celebrations begin on the evening of 14 August and continue on the feast day, including prayer in Gethsemane and a pilgrimage to the Tomb of Mary.

Photos by: Elias Halabi - Terra Sancta Museum

13/08/2026

On 10 August 2026, a pre-construction meeting and official site handover took place at the Terra Sancta Museum in Jerusalem’s Old City, marking an important step towards the beginning of the upcoming works.

On 10 August 2026, a pre-construction meeting and official site handover took place at the Terra Sancta Museum in Jerusalem’s Old City, marking an important step towards the beginning of the upcoming works.

Funded by the Belgian government through Enabel in Palestine, the project will support civil interventions in Rooms 4, 6 and C, including the construction of a new skylight above Room 4. These works will help improve and stabilize the museum’s internal climate conditions, contributing to the protection of its collections and the preparation of future exhibition spaces. Enabel works to create inclusive and vibrant public spaces that foster community engagement, learning, and cultural participation, strengthening their role as hubs for education, culture, and community life.

During the visit, participants toured the museum and reviewed the areas where the works will be carried out. The meeting brought together Eng. Walid Aboudi of Enabel; Arch. Jawad Sleibi of the Custody of the Holy Land; Eng. Khaled Jamjoom of Global Consultants; and representatives of the contractor Mr. Fix, Mr. Shawkat Mansour and Eng. Bashar Ibrahim.

The Terra Sancta Museum thanks Enabel for its valuable support, contributing to the preservation and future development of the museum and its heritage in Jerusalem.

Photos: Elias Halabi – Terra Sancta Museum