Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem

One of the world’s holiest sites attracts millions of annual pilgrims, many following a route from Jerusalem (six miles away) developed centuries ago. The first known church here was constructed in 339, while the current structure was built over the site in the sixth century and still includes the earlier, original floor mosaics. Different Christian sects maintain the complex, which includes Franciscan, Latin, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian convents, monasteries, and church buildings, along with bell towers, colonnades, and gardens. Yet infighting among the caretakers over their respective sections has left much of it in a fragile condition.