Well, it certainly exists today! Nazareth was considered to be a Jewish city at the time Jesus lived here, our tour guide told us, but today Jewish people live in Upper Nazareth (Nazareth Illit) while Arabs (Christian and Muslim) live in the city itself. Riding by bus to Nazareth from Haifa takes about 45 minutes, and it's an absolutely journey which goes past fields of olive trees.
Nazareth today is being changed by its location--inside the green line of Israel (future-centered, high-tech) and the past (clothes still hang on lines, women need to dress modestly, and guest houses like the incredible Fauzi Azar Inn still beckon to the past.)
The places that are a a see are Mary's Well (inside the Greek-Orthodox Church of the Visitation), here I accidentally drank holy water. The church with Mary's Well is very different, structurally, from the Basilica. While both are still Churches, the Basilica has a colder, more isolated feeling, but boasts stained glass windows that make a person of any religion feel as though they're swimming through color. The Basilica of the Annunciation is an easy 15 minute walk from the Well, and also has pictures of Mary that have been donated from country's all around the world. These pictures have the common theme of veneration of Mary, but also reflect the places that they come from. The Mary of Egypt, complete with Arabic writing, sits pleasantly next to a much brighter Mary of Ireland, with Gaelic inscriptions.
The White Mosque and the various shuks were also a delight!
Nazareth has for over 100 years drawn Christian pilgrims, so the city caters to tourists, but it's far from a tourist trap. Winding around the back alleys of Nazareth to find the real city and you'll be rewarded. This city has so many sites, smells, and sounds that it's really a treasure for the eyes, nose, and ears:)
There are so many little stories in Nazareth, that I would strongly recommend getting on a tour so as not to miss anything!
I posted pictures from Nazareth on Flickr:
