The Church of St. Mary Magdalene was built by the Russian Tsar Alexander III in 1888 in memory of his mother. Our family has often referred to this church as Aladdin's Palace due to the 7 golden onion domes that stand out against the Mount of Olives. It is a lovely "Palace". I believe this is a picture of Mary Magdalene at the garden tomb.
Inside the walls are gardens with potted plants and flowers. Since this is the dead of winter I hope to go back in the spring to see it come to life. I think this place is a beautiful sanctuary to symbolize the coming forth of Christ from the tomb and to honor Mary as the first to see the Savor.
In this painting you will notice the red Easter Egg being given as a gift. During the time this church was built Alexander III started the Faberge Egg phenomena. They were ornate eggs with hidden surprises made for his wife and family. This tradition carried on until the assassination of the family in 1918 and then the story of Anastasia begins. Of course the egg is a symbol of life that we use to celebrate Easter. The Church housed some beautiful murals.
Even the light posts are onion domes.
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