The Church of Saint Anne in Jerusalem marks, according to Christian tradition, the birthplace of Mary, mother of Jesus. Saint Anne (Hanna), after whom the church is named, is Jehoiachin's wife and Mary's mother. The church is located in the old city of Jersaulem, near the Lions' Gate and belongs to the order of "The White Fathers" (named after the color of their robes). In the church yard are archaeological remains identified with the pools of Beit Hasda, where, according to tradition, the miracle of healing on Passover took place, in which Jesus ordered a disabled man who could not walk for many years to stand up and walk, and so it was.
In the Byzantine period (the fifth century) a church dedicated to Saint Mary. The floor of the church was made of a mosaic decorated with geometric patterns, a section of which remains on the northeast side of the excavation area. The church was probably destroyed - either during the Persian period, or was later destroyed by al-Hachem Bamer Allah, at the beginning of the 11th century.
A tradition from the second century AD describes the story of Mary's miraculous birth to childless parents, Jehoiachin and Hannah (Joachim and Anna). The story is very reminiscent of the story of Hannah from the Bible: like her, Anna was also barren in her old age, like her the angel appeared to her, and like her she promised to consecrate her son to God's service. From the sixth century, Christian scripture described the place of Mary's birth as Nazareth, so that the tradition of her birth in Jerusalem remained a local tradition; In the West, the tradition was accepted as saint Mary was born in Nazareth.
The church was built by the Crusaders in the 1240s and was dedicated to Saint Anna, Mary's mother. In this way, the two traditions were actually separated into two different areas: that of healing the disabled, and that of Miriam's birth. A monastery was also built next to the new church.
The church is an example of the most common type of Crusader church in the Holy Land; A basilica with a central Nave and two side aisles, ending in the east with three parallel apses. The structure combines an early Romanesque building style with early Christian local building traditions, and with Byzantine influences. For example: the dome above the intersection of the nave with the transept. In the right wing there are steps leading to the crypt from the Roman period which, according to tradition, is the birthplace of Mary.
In 1187, after defeating the Crusaders, Salah A-Din turned the church into a Muslim madrasa (Muslim school) named after him: Salahiya. This is also described today in the inscription above the entrance frame. Because the church was turned into a madrasah immediately upon the conquest of the city by Salah a-Din, the building was well preserved and is one of the most beautiful examples of Crusader architecture in Jerusalem. During the 19th century it is known that the building was used as a stable for the Turkish garrison, which was stationed nearby. Pilgrims were not allowed to go down to the crypt through the stairs but only through a small window, which is pointed out in the church to this day.
In 1856, the church was handed over to Napoleon III, as a token of gratitude for the help of French to the Ottomans in the Crimean War. The church was restored by the French and handed over to the order of the White Fathers (intended for missionary activity in Africa). The Saint Ana compound is therefore one of the only places in the Holy Land where the monks of the order can be found on a permanent basis.
