Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem

Since the 2nd century, Christian tradition has identified this grotto south of Jerusalem as the place where Jesus was born, and a church has stood over it since 339 CE. Rebuilt in the 6th century after fire, the Church of the Nativity still guards floor mosaics from its predecessor beneath the basilica where Latin, Greek Orthodox, Franciscan and Armenian communities worship side by side. With its convents, bell towers, terraced gardens and the pilgrimage route, the Bethlehem site was inscribed by UNESCO in 2012.