Dominus Flevit

Sitting halfway up the Mount of Olives, Dominus Flevit is a prominent Franciscan church in Jerusalem. The name translates from Latin to “The Lord Wept,” with the structure shaped like a teardrop to symbolize the tears of Jesus. It is said to mark the spot where Jesus looked out onto Jerusalem and wept, knowing the city was bound to be destroyed.
The site went unmarked until the Crusader era, when a small chapel was built that eventually fell into ruin. The present day structure was built in 1955 by Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi, standing upon centuries of history and ruins — including the Byzantine era monastery and an ancient necropolis. Today the church has a panoramic, often-photographed view of Jerusalem. The window at the altar provides an overlook of the city focused on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

Practical Info

The church is accessed by a steep walkway from the top or base of the Mount of Olives, southeast of the Lion’s Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. Visitors are welcomed daily free of charge.