Du caveau-reliquaire à la grande crypte de pélerinage : un « mausolée » pour Hilarion. Les vestiges de Umm el-'Amr à Nuseirat (bande de Gaza)

Archaeological excavations at the site of Saint Hilarion Monastery, located 10 km south of Gaza, have revealed a monumental proto-Byzantine monastery complex spanning over 14,000 m². The site, active from the 4th to the late 8th century, is attributed to Saint Hilarion, a foundational figure in Palestinian monasticism. The monastery's architectural evolution, characterized by five successive phases for its church and three for its bath complex, highlights its significance as one of the largest monasteries in Palestine and a key pilgrimage site in the region. Notably, the memory of Saint Hilarion was preserved through multiple churches and an unprecedentedly large crypt, setting a monumental standard in Middle Eastern religious architecture.

Elter, R. (2012). Du caveau-reliquaire à la grande crypte de pélerinage : un « mausolée » pour Hilarion. Les vestiges de Umm el-’Amr à Nuseirat (bande de Gaza). Hortus Artium Medievalium, 18(2), 367–378. https://doi.org/10.1484/j.ham.1.102821