THE traditional site on the River Jordan of the baptism of Christ by St John the Baptist — Qasr el Yahud — has been reopened by the Israel Ministries of Tourism and Environmental Protection, the Civil Administration, and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.
Qasr el Yahud, also known as Al-Maghtas — “the immersion” in Arabic — is one of the most popular Christian pilgrimage sites in the Holy Land, alongside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem, and the Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem. It attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world each year. Numbers peaked at nearly one million people in 2019.
Modern facilities first opened to visitors in 2009, initially with temporary structures, and have since been “upgraded”, the Israel Ministry of Tourism says. This process included the development of external infrastructure, such as roads, parking areas, and landscaping; the construction of a large air-conditioned service building, equipped with hot showers and changing rooms; a new visitor service centre; a wide, wooden deck enabling safe access to the river; and a dedicated prayer pergola.
The Israeli Minister of Tourism, Haim Katz, said: “The investment in Qasr el Yahud . . . one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Christianity, is another step we are taking to develop and upgrade tourism infrastructure at faith and heritage sites. Our goal is to improve the visitor experience and ensure a high-quality and accessible visit.”
The director-general of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Raya Shurki, said: “The baptism site is one of the most spiritual and historically significant sites in the Christian world and serves as a major pilgrimage destination for hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tourists every year. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority places the utmost importance on preserving the sanctity of the site alongside its development and accessibility at the highest standards.
“Our role is to safeguard the values of heritage, nature, and landscape for the benefit of the general public, as we do at many other sites of importance to diverse communities and religions. We are pleased to provide an improved visitor experience — respectful, safe, and comfortable — while strictly preserving the unique natural, landscape, and heritage values of the Jordan River and the entire region.”
Near by, at Bethany, a new museum is to be built, and an international competition, organised by the Foundation for the Development of the Lands Adjacent to the Baptism Site, has announced that the winner is a team led by Níall McLaughlin Architects (NMLA), a London firm.
The winning design answered the brief’s call for a museum that “evokes wonder and humility in the visitor and responds sensitively to the site”. A press release from Malcolm Reading, the competition’s organiser, says that “visitors will descend into the earth from an arid wilderness garden, then encounter a rift filled with water to symbolize the Jordan River, and re-emerge into the light and a fruitful paradise garden.
“Accordingly, the eastern entrance and western exit will face each other across a public square. Between them, an open stepped landscape will rise onto the roof where visitors can view the valley of the Jordan River and the pilgrimage route to the Baptism Site.”
The joint winners, Níall McLaughlin, principal of his architectural firm, Kim Wilkie, founder of Kim Wilkie Landscape, and Pippa Nissen, director and founder of Nissen Richards Studio, said: “We are delighted to receive the news that we are the winners of the competition for the Museum of Jesus’ Baptism at Bethany, Jordan. It is an extraordinary site with a profound history. The brief was beautifully written, and the shortlist was exceptionally strong. We felt honoured to be chosen to participate with such an interesting group.”