The Church of Mary Magdalene was built by the Emperor of Russia (Emperor Alexander III) in honor of his mother (the Empress Maria Alexandrovna); it was inaugurated in 1888 in a ceremony attended by Prince Sergei Alexanderov and his wife, Duchess Elizabeth Fedorovna.
The Church of St. Mary Magdalene is one of the most beautiful places of worship in the Holy Land. It is located on the slope of the Mount of Olives, in the heart of the Garden of the Gethsemane. It overlooks the Old City of Jerusalem.