Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

The Church of the Nativity is built upon the cave or grotto that is the traditional site of Jesus' birth (see another post). The original basilica was built by Constantine in the 4th century on the site identified by his mother, Helena, as that site. The 1st building was destroyed. The current structure dates to the 6th century and was built by Justinian on the foundations of Constantine's basilica.
The panorama inside shows the building and some of the preserved and restored mosaics. The small section of floor mosaic is the only part of the Constantino's building.Read more