Built on the slopes of the Mount of Olives by Alexander III of Russia, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene is probably the most conspicuous house of worship in Jerusalem. It owes its prominence to the presence of seven gilded, onion-shaped domes jutting out from a monumental Muscovite-style body that stands proudly against the sky.
While the church was dedicated to Alexander's mother Maria, it was called the Church of St. Mary Magdalene after her name- saint. One of the best-known women in the New Testament, it was Mary Magdalene from whose body Jesus exorcised the seven demons in Mark 16:9. Mary was present at the Crucifixion and was the first person to see Jesus after the Resurrection.
From a distance what you see of St. Mary Magdalene are its memorable bulb-like cupolas. But if you enter the closure in which it is found and climb the steps to the church, you discover that the building is as remarkable as its domes. Indeed, the palatial exterior features a mind-boggling variety of styles and decorations that is fascinating to behold. Although it appears to be made of marble, the facade is actually a stunning, sculpted white sandstone.
Classic, with Roman-style arches, the first story of the magnificent structure has solid, graceful lines. Above the main entrance, located on the second level, is a gabled roof trimmed with a pseudo-lace design. A circular blue mosaic depicting Mary Magdalene piously robed in white is framed in gold within the gable.
The third floor is embellished with an upside-down serrated roof, scalloped windows, and pretty arches. At the top are the striking bulbous domes, each crowned by a tall gilded Russian Orthodox cross. The bell tower is ringed with squat squarish pillars and shaped like a rook, and above the bells is a large silver cone with several chapel-shaped windows. A dome with a protruding cross caps the bell tower structure.
Over the iconastasis - the eastern orthodox partition which separates the prayer hall from the sanctuary - is an enormous canvas by Ivanov. It illustrates a popular legend in which Mary travels to Rome to tell Emperor Tiberius of Jesus' unfair trial and unjust sentence. It is said that Mary held an egg in her hand, representing life. But it turned red when she handed it to the emperor, thus becoming a living symbol of Jesus' blood and the Resurrection. Quite possibly, the Christian custom of dying eggs on Easter is related to Mary's presentation of a red egg as a tribute to the emperor.
The church's iconastasis is a work of art. It consists of beautifully carved white marble, and painted bronze screens decorated with Vereshoguine's splendid illustrations. Six tiny paintings on the door depict the four evangelists, the Virgin Mary, and the angel Gabriel.
Shades of brown and a variety of patterns dominate the walls, arches, and ceiling. In many other elaborate sanctuaries sculpted animals and flowers are carved under the arches, but here they are adorned with painted designs. Other highlights include a large chandelier which utilizes small oil lamps for light (electricity is not used in the sanctuary) and a very special icon of Mary Magdalene that contains a relic from the sainted woman's bones. The marble floor with its colored geometric shapes resembles that of another Russian Orthodox church, St. Alexander Nevsky (see page 50).
Inside a beautiful, hand-carved wooden frame is a unique sixteenth-century icon of the Virgin Mary holding her infant son. Believed to have miraculous powers of healing, the painting stood in a Lebanese church for several hundred years. Although this icon and a small part of the altar were saved from destruction after the church burned to the ground, the icon, buried beneath the rubble, had turned black. Miraculously, it began to lighten during the journey to its new home in Jerusalem, more than half a century ago.

The miraculous icon.

(This chapter continues in "Beyond the Walls: Churches of Jerusalem")