Georgian PM lays foundation stone of Georgian Cultural Centre project at Baptism Site

AMMAN — In the presence of HRH Prince Ghazi, Chief Advisor to His Majesty for Religious and Cultural Affairs and Personal Envoy of His Majesty, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Baptism Site Commission, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the project of the Georgian Cultural Centre at the Baptism Site with the aim to enhance religious tourism between the countries. 

The event was held during Garibashvili’s visit to the Baptism site that also included Tell Mar Elias, the cave that John the Baptist lived in, and other archaeological churches at the area, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Director General of the Baptism Site Commission Rustom Mkhjian delivered a briefing on the important religious events that the Tell Mar Elias site has witnessed, stressing the board of trustees’ keenness to preserve religious features of the site.

Mkhjian said that the Baptism Site of Jesus the Christ houses three churches, including some that were built during Islamic eras.

During the visit, Garibashvili was gifted a certificate of visit, sacred water and a harmony rosary that was made by refugees, as a gesture to the Kingdom’s reception of refugees throughout history from all over the world.