Mount Zion, Jerusalem
The quieter the mind, the more powerful, the worthier, the deeper, the more telling and more perfect the prayer is.
—Meister Eckhart (1260–1328), German philosopher, theologian, and mystic
On top of Mount Zion, just beyond Zion Gate, sits an organic-looking German Benedictine abbey with a blue conical roof punctuated with four turrets and a domed clock tower that safeguards the traditional site of the last “falling asleep” of the Blessed Virgin Mary when her soul was taken to heaven. The event is also known as the Assumption of Mary. Above the main altar, a gold Byzantine-style mosaic of the Madonna with Child shimmers with light and finds resonance in other sacred art that adorns the basilica.
If you are searching for spiritual meaning from sacred feminine images, are connecting with your higher self or soul in sleep, or want to see the traditional place of Mary’s death (another tradition cites Ephesus), visit the Basilica of the Dormition. You can walk to the church from Mount Zion. Otherwise, take a taxi, rental car, or local buses. There is no admission fee.
Study the beauty of the sacred art, noticing the imagery of Mary in the icons and mosaics. Pray in the nave. In the crypt a sculpture of the Holy Mother lays in repose, while in the dome above her, Christ receives her soul. Reflect on death as the final “falling asleep.”
Architect Heinrich Renard used the cathedral of Aix-la-Chapelle as his model for the basilica. The Room of the Last Supper is located beside the abbey.