Parts of church was very crowded and had a long line to visit the tomb first thing in the morning (probably around 9ish). Other parts weren't as crowded. Beautiful church, definitely worth visiting.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Photo: Noam Chen
Photo: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Photo: Noam Chen
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 6817 traveler reviews"Crowded but definitely still worth a stop"
"Anticlimatic, really not that impressed"
For a church that is s important to the Christian faith I really did expect more. We visited early in the morning in December so there were very few people around. Some of the architecture and decorations are pretty but there is no Wow factor like you get in Palermo or Haiga...
MoreFor a church that is s important to the Christian faith I really did expect more. We visited early in the morning in December so there were very few people around. Some of the architecture and decorations are pretty but there is no Wow factor like you get in Palermo or Haiga Sofia. It's a succession of small and dark rooms that you are mostly free to wander through. Nothing is labelled or explained, if you're a believer then you'll know what something is and if you aren't then you don't matter. The constant rebuilding and renovation means there is no stylistic flow through the areas of the church, it all seems very disjointed.nThere is a stone inside the door which is allegedly the stone Jesus's body was laid on. Faith is very strange and deeply primitive and I was surprised at the emotional responses of a lot of visitors. We spent maybe 30 minutes inside and really should have gone with a guide to make sense of what was there and make sure we saw everything. The current building is a mixture of Byzantine, Crusader and Ottoman architecture, the original Roman basilica being destroyed in 1009 by the Fatimid caliph. If you are a believer then this is nirvana, if you're not it's just an average church so manage your expectations before going.
Less"The holiest of Christian sites . . . Church of the Holy Sepulchre"
For Christians, this is the most visit site in Jerusalem’s Old City. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is built on the site where Jesus was crucified. I found most interesting the stone on which Jesus’ body was placed after being taken down from the cross and on which it was prepared for burial,...
MoreFor Christians, this is the most visit site in Jerusalem’s Old City. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is built on the site where Jesus was crucified. I found most interesting the stone on which Jesus’ body was placed after being taken down from the cross and on which it was prepared for burial, and the Rotunda, which contains his empty tomb.
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