Monastery Of The Holy Cross, Jerusalem

This fortress-like medieval monastery is located in the Valley of the Cross, below the Israel Museum. Go there by taxi, or buses 19, 24, 99. There is a small entrance fee. A Christian legend says that the tree whose wood was used for the cross of Christ grew here. Built in the sixth century, the monastery was restored in the 11th century by a Georgian monk. It is now owned by the Greek Orthodox. Shota Rustaveli, the national poet of Georgia and lover of Queen Tamara, was sent into exile when she married David of Ossetia. Rustaveli is said to have painted some of the icons visible on the pillars. A small museum displays the monastery's treasures.