It is hard to catch the spiritual nature of this place with the hoards of people and the pushing and shoving. For me it was worth fighting upstairs to see the site of the crucifixion, but i could not get to the tomb. The chapels around the tomb were meaningful.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the most sacred site in the world for millions of Christians. This if the site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The church was built during the 4th century by the Emperor Constantine, who accepted Christianity and made it the official religion of the Roman Empire. His mother, Saint Helena, toured the Holy Land and identified the sites in which the events mentioned in the New Testament took place. Helena identified this place as the Calvary, where Jesus was crucified. She also identified the burial plot of Joseph of Arimathea, who facilitated Jesus’ burial after he was taken down from the cross. Lying within the boundaries of the church are the last stations in Jesus’ Way of Grief- from the 9th to the 14th station.
Many changes took place in the church over the years, and it was formed into its current shape during the crusader era. During its early days in the Byzantine era, it was larger and known as “The Resurrection Church”, commemorating Jesus’ rise from the dead.
During the 13th century, the responsibility for opening the church and keeping the church’s keys was given to two Muslim families, and they are still, to this day, responsible for the church’s keys and its opening at dawn and closure at sunset. Most of the compound is held by the Catholic Church, the Armenian Church and the Greek Orthodox Church, with limited rights to the Syrian and Coptic Churches.
During the 19th century a status-quo agreement was signed between the various communities, defining the rights of prayer and ownership for the different communities involved in the church.
The church façade was designed during the crusader area. In the past, on top of the entrance arches, there were lintels decorated with crusader embossments. They are currently in the custodianship of the Rockefeller Museum. The bell tower on the left side was also built during the crusader era. For many of the tourists visiting this place, this is the highlight of their visit to the Holy Land.
Photos courtesy of the Ministry of Tourism, by Noam Chen
TripAdvisor Reviews
Based on 6122 traveler reviewsNew
“Very holy, but so crowded”
New
“Get inspired by history and the new testament”
A visit here is a must, a once in a life time experience, in order to be part of the modern western history and culture. For Christians this is the new Temple Mount, where the crucifixion and the victory of Jesus over evil brought a new dawn to man-kind. A few interesting facts about the...
MoreA visit here is a must, a once in a life time experience, in order to be part of the modern western history and culture. For Christians this is the new Temple Mount, where the crucifixion and the victory of Jesus over evil brought a new dawn to man-kind. A few interesting facts about the Holy Sepulchre: 1. The entrance door is facing south and not east.. probably the only Church in the world. 2. The keys to the door of the church is held by a muslim family for many generations. 3. According to the christian tradition the center of the world is within the church.
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“The church that is many churches.”
It is the strangest church in the world, since it is not just a church, there are several churches in the same place; each with its own rules, ceremonies, decorations, cults and schedules so as not to interfere with others. To get to the point of the holy sepulcher is to make a line of...
MoreIt is the strangest church in the world, since it is not just a church, there are several churches in the same place; each with its own rules, ceremonies, decorations, cults and schedules so as not to interfere with others. To get to the point of the holy sepulcher is to make a line of more than 2 hours, so you must decide if it is what you want or better enjoy only the beauty of the temple and do other activities. You can not miss the visit of this church.
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