Church of St Anne and Pools of Bethesda

The Church of St Anne stands in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, Israel, a short walk inside Lions' Gate on the street leading toward the Via Dolorosa. Crusaders built it in the 12th century on the site traditionally linked to the home of Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary. It is one of the best-preserved Crusader churches in the country, with a plain Romanesque nave, thick walls and a simple altar, and it escaped later conversion to a mosque partly because Saladin turned it into a religious school. The building became French property in the 19th century as a gift from the Ottoman sultan, and it is now run by the White Fathers. The church is known for its remarkable acoustics. Choirs and visiting groups sing hymns in the nave, and the sound carries and lingers, so individual visitors often join in or simply listen. A crypt below the church contains a small grotto that tradition connects to the birthplace of Mary. Next to the church lie the excavated Pools of Bethesda, a double reservoir fed by rainwater from the Temple area in the Second Temple period. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus healed a paralysed man here. Visitors walk along raised paths above the ruins and can see remains of Roman and Byzantine structures, including the base of a later Byzantine church built over the pools. The shaded garden has benches and flowering trees, and it offers quiet away from busy Old City lanes. A visit typically takes 45 minutes, and mornings are quietest. Both the church and the archaeological area charge a modest combined fee, with cash usually easiest. Photography is allowed outside services. Visitors should dress modestly. The site is five minutes from Lions' Gate and close to the starting point of the Via Dolorosa.