Magdala is considered the birthplace of Saint Mary, a disciple of Christ and myrrhbearer. The courtyard is located in Galilee, on the western shore of the Sea of Tiberias, near Mount Arbel.

The territory of the courtyard features a large garden with grapefruit trees and natural springs with healing water: a warm radon spring, the "Eye" spring, and a spring where, according to tradition, Jesus Christ healed Mary Magdalene.

The birthplace of Mary Magdalene became a pilgrimage site as early as the Middle Ages, starting from the Byzantine Empire. A church was built here, which was later destroyed, presumably by Saracens. During the Crusades, the church was restored, as mentioned by the Russian abbot Daniel.

In 1908, Archimandrite Leonid (Sentsov) acquired a large plot of land on the shores of the Sea of Galilee with the spring of Saint Mary Magdalene. Archimandrite Leonid noted that "near Tiberias a large plot has been acquired on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias with mineral springs, where an orange grove is being planted and a temple and barracks for worshippers are planned. This place represents a wonderful oasis on the desolate shores of the lake."

World War I hindered the construction of the temple in honor of Saint Mary Magdalene. A temporary chapel was arranged in one of the houses on the site in Magdala. In the difficult post-revolutionary years for the Russian Spiritual Mission, part of the land and the house were rented out. After the establishment of the State of Israel, the site came under the jurisdiction of the Russian Spiritual Mission of the Moscow Patriarchate, and the Magdala garden was renewed.

In 1962, under the head of the RDM, Archimandrite Nikodim (Rotov), a small church in honor of Saint Mary Magdalene was built on the site. In 1996, the church underwent exterior and interior restoration. By Easter 1997, the walls inside the church were adorned with frescoes in the Byzantine style on evangelical themes by Moscow artist Yaroslav Dobrynin, related to the Sea of Galilee. A new wooden iconostasis was also installed in the church.

In June 1997, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia laid the first stone of the "House for Pilgrims," which was built for the 2000th anniversary of Christianity. A small hotel for pilgrims is still in operation today. In 1998, through the efforts of Archimandrite Theodosius (Vasnev), a new house for receiving pilgrims was built on the site in Magdala.

The courtyard is a closed site and can only be visited with a blessing and prior arrangement. This is done to protect the quiet life of the courtyard from onlookers, as it is located along a road frequented by numerous tour groups.