Visitors watch the depiction of Jesus Christ's crucifixion in the Holy Land thematic park in Buenos Aires
© AFP/File Juan MabromataBUENOS AIRES (AFP) - If only the summer heat recalls the banks of the River Jordan, it is because this strife-free Holy Land sits next to the Rio de la Plata (River Plate), in South America, just next to an airport in Argentina's crowded capital.
And though the seven-hectare (17-acre) site includes a mosque and a synagogue, the exhibits' focus here is on Christianity and the life of Christ. Most Argentines are Roman Catholics, though the country does have sizeable Jewish and Muslim communities.
Its creators say the sandy-hued Holy Land is one-of-a-kind in that it is entirely devoted to religion.
Since its doors opened in 1999, almost two million people have come to see "attractions" or exhibits such as the birth of Christ.
In the back of a cave, a life-sized synthetic Nativity scene is on display, where one can channel the Christmas spirit beside an artificial ox, donkey, and a set of moving Three Kings, all to the sounds of Faure's "Requiem".
Visitors also can get lost in a model of Jerusalem, exploring its narrow back streets complete with cool drinks and spiritual souvenirs.
At the top of a hill meant to represent Mount Calvary, life-sized crosses herald a crucifixion scene.
At Easter, the exhibits go live with flesh-and-blood actors who walk the Way of the Cross, lashed by Roman soldiers' whips. Visitors swept up in the passion can even take up a cross themselves.
"It is really emotional. People cry," Holy Land park director Maria Antonia Ferro tolf AFP in an interview.
Miriam, a 44-year-old Argentine woman, pulled up a chair at the Last Supper, a main attraction at Holy Land.
"It is really moving. It has a big impact," she said after watching the moving plastic figure of Jesus, surrounded by his apostles, break bread and then appeal to his followers to do the same in memory of him.
"As a Catholic, I found it really emotional to see what I had read in the Bible so many times," she explained.
Though some non-believers may enjoy a stroll and a scoff, many visitors who take in the faux Holy City of three monotheistic faiths -- Christianity, Islam and Judaism -- are often moved. "It is a very spiritual place, and a place for the soul," the park director added.
The Wailing Wall scene is dotted with papers containing wishes. An Israeli ambassador who visited donated a bit of the real wall, according to Ferro.
And he was not the only one to give his blessing: the Roman Catholic Church did as well. The archbishop of Buenos Aires called the park "a place of cultural and spiritual enrichment."
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