Jerusalem, Israel Occupied Palestine
Coordinates: 31.771778, 35.229222
The location of Church of the Dormition is identified in (Christian tradition) as the place where the Bibi Maryam رضي الله عنها passed away.
During the Byzantine period, the Church of Hagia Sion (Holy Zion), one of the three earliest churches in Jerusalem, stood on this site.
There are two sites, Jerusalem and Ephesus (Turkey), which claims to be the place where Bibi Maryam رضي الله عنها passed away. Most of the traditions says that the site is in jerusalem but some says that it’s in Ephesus.
Earliest traditions all locate Bibi Maryam رضي الله عنها passing away site in Jerusalem, where the Tomb of Mary is venerated at the foot of the Jabal az-Zaitun (Mount of Olives).
How did she passed away
According to local tradition, it was on this spot, that the Blessed Bibi Maryam رضي الله عنها passed away.
Both in Orthodoxy and Catholicism, as in the language of scripture, death is often called a “sleeping” or “falling asleep” and this gave the original monastery its name.
The church itself is called Basilica of the Assumption (or Dormition).
One point to note is that in the Catholic christians belief, Bibi Maryam رضي الله عنها was taken, body and soul, to heaven.
Vandalism done by Jews to the Church
The Dormition Abbey, along with other Christian sites, has been the target of occasional vandalism as a form of price tag attack by extremist Israeli nationalist religious youths.
In October 2012 and in May and June 2013 the abbey was vandalized with anti-Christian graffiti and insults in Hebrew.
The offensive words compared Christians to monkeys and called for revenge against Jesus.
Two cars were also covered with graffiti and all tyres were slashed. One of the gates of the nearby Greek Orthodox cemetery was also marked with graffiti. This was allegedly a price tag attack carried out by nationalist religious extremists for the dismantling of an illegal outpost Havat Ma’on.
On 26 May 2014 a box of wooden crosses was set ablaze inside the Dormition Abbey. It is believed that this was some sort of failed arson attempt.
A nationalist religious jew entered the premises by jumping over a fence in December 2014 and went on to damage a crucifix, a bench and a number of statues in the cemetery, one of which marked the grave of a monk with Israeli nationality.
Know This
To visit the Church on Mount Zion you should go out of the Fortification Wall, taking Zion Gate. Being outside the Wall is about five minutes’ walk.
Note: Some of the information in this article comes from Christians sources.
