The original location of the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist and venerated as such since at least the Byzantine period. Third most holy site for Christians in the world, after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Nativity. The geometric shapes and crosses decorating the mosaic illustrate the iconoclasm of the early Christian church, which believed that figures should not be portrayed in art. The Western Church contained a rock-cut apse that extended under one of the pools. The oldest building, believed to be the Prayer Hall, may date from the beginning of the Byzantine era.

The unique Church of Bethany, which was built on platforms in the early 6th century to prevent flood damage, where Prophet lIyas was lifted bodily to heaven in a whirlwind.