Church of All Nations

The Church of All Nations, commonly called the Basilica of the Agony, stands on the Mount of Olives immediately beside the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem. It was constructed in the early 20th century and houses a stone associated in Christian tradition with the Agony in the Garden.

The church is a basilica with a broad nave, decorated interior mosaics and an altar sited above the exposed rock that pilgrims venerate. The building was commissioned to replace earlier chapels on the same site and forms part of the cluster of pilgrimage properties at the foot of the Mount of Olives.

The church was built between 1919 and 1924 to designs by Antonio Barluzzi and combines modern construction with elements referencing earlier Byzantine and medieval structures that stood here. It sits immediately adjacent to ancient olive trees and the enclosed Garden of Gethsemane, which remain a focal point for visitors and religious observance.

Located on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem’s Old City, the basilica and garden are a short walk from other major pilgrimage sites and overlook the Kidron Valley and eastern approaches to the city.

• Date and architect: Constructed in the early 20th century (1919-1924) and designed by the architect Antonio Barluzzi; notable for its mosaics and basilica plan.

What to See #

• Basilica: The main basilica built between 1919 and 1924 featuring a wide nave, coloured mosaics and a dominant apse above the altar area.
• Gethsemane rock and garden: The adjacent Garden of Gethsemane area and rock within the basilica that tradition identifies as the place of the Agony, preserved beneath the main altar.