The Church of the Great Martyr George the Victorious (Lod, Israel)

Over its centuries-old history, the temple in Lod was destroyed and rebuilt more than once during earthquakes and wars. During the First Crusade, the Saracens destroyed the building, but the Crusaders rebuilt it. Then, in 1191, the temple of St. George was ordered to be destroyed by another Muslim ruler - Saladin, but it is not known whether his will was fulfilled. One way or another, his main opponent, King Richard the Lionheart, had a hand in the beautification of this temple. And in 1442 it was destroyed again - this time during the pogrom of Christians, inspired by the Egyptian authorities. Shortly thereafter, a mosque opens in the western part of the building. Christian services in the church were resumed only in 1517.

In the year 1837, the temple was almost completely destroyed as a result of a strong earthquake. In 1870, the site on which he stands becomes the subject of a dispute between the Catholic Franciscans and the Orthodox Jerusalem Patriarchate - and as a result, the latter goes to. The Greeks are restoring the temple and building into its structure what little remains of the Byzantine basilica - not counting the part that became a mosque and today is closely adjacent to the church, standing on its historical foundation.
Near the church of St.George, built of gray stone, there is absolutely a small, square building topped with its own dome. Initially, it served for the baptism of new members of the local Christian community.

As for the church itself, the entrance to it is crowned with a stone arch with the image of the great martyr George under it. The interior of the temple is impressive: the bright decoration of the altar, skillful painting of the vaults, huge chandeliers donated to the consecration of the temple by the House of Romanov ...

In the crypt of the temple there is a cenotaph - the symbolic tomb of St. George. The clergy regularly anoint the lid of the tombstone with a bas-relief of the Great Martyr with fragrant oil. On the wall of the crypt, you can see a magnificent mosaic icon of St. George the Victorious, dressed in armor, with a shining halo around his head.
Among the revered shrines staying here are a particle of the relics of the heavenly patron of the temple in a silver ark and shackles that once fettered the great martyr. Previously, the shackles of God's saint hung on the wall, but now, for the sake of safety, they are placed under glass.

Services in the Church of St. George the Victorious in Lod are performed in Greek, Georgian and Russian. In addition to the patronal feast day, the Day of the Renovation of the Church - November 16 - is no less solemnly celebrated here. It was on this day in 1872 that the restored St. George Church was rebuilt consecrated. For this holiday, clerics of many Christian churches come to Lod - more than once the Jerusalem Patriarch came here for this holiday.