Interfaith chapel of the ascension on mount of olives (Olivet) mountain is located on a special platform. Tradition holds – this is the place where Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after his resurrection.

The Evangelist Luke describes this event: "he Lifted up His hands and blessed them. And, while he blessed them, he parted from them and carried up into heaven" (LK 24: 50-51). In Acts it says more: "He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud took Him from their sight. And when they looked at the sky, during His ascent, suddenly stood by them two men in white apparel and said, men of Galilee! why do you stand looking into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven" (acts 1:9-11).

The place where it all happened, read the early Christians. St. Helen found this site during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. About 390 years rich Roman Christian of Pomene have built the Church called Embolon (from Greek – "on the hill"), the rotunda under the open sky, in which the clock lamps were burning. This temple was destroyed by the Persians in the seventh century, rebuilt but destroyed again in the X century the Arabs. In the XII century the crusaders rebuilt the ruins of the octagonal chapel in the Romanesque style, which served at the same time the observation point, from where they controlled the road between Jericho and Jerusalem.

Saladin captured the city in 1187, converted the chapel into a mosque. However, this still flocked the pilgrims, and Saladin generously ordered the construction of a second mosque close by, and in the former chapel to let the Christians. To the XV century, the complex fell into disrepair and desolation.

Chapel of the ascension is in the middle of a small, circular courtyard surrounded by walls. In them rows mounted metal rings, used by pilgrims for tents. It is easy to imagine how the building looked when the crusaders: no stone dome and the walls between the thin marble columns with elegant capitals. Inside catches the eye of another Muslim, an addition of a mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca).

The temple was built around the main local Shrine, the piece of rock on which, according to the legend, etched mark of the foot of Christ. "Pile" – so-affectionately call this stone the Russian pilgrims. There were two of the printout, however, say, in the middle ages Muslims, recognizing the ascension of Jesus, moved the stone with the trace of the second foot in the al-Aqsa mosque. Chapel inactive, but Christians of all denominations come to light candles and pray where was the last time in his earthly appearance of the risen Jesus Christ.