Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem’s Old City

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built by the 330 A.D. by the mother of Emperor Constantine. The Holy Sepulchre is a major pilgrimage center for Christians because the Church is built on the hill where it is said Jesus Christ of Nazareth was crucified and buried, hence the name “Holy Sepulchre” for Christ’s Tomb.

The Holy Sepulchre Church is currently located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City. Originally, the tomb of Jesus would have been outside of the walls of the city, as tombs were considered unclean. In Jesus’ time, the walls of the city were thinner and located east of the Church, but it wasn’t long until another wall was built, enclosing the Church as part of the city.

When you first enter the Church you will see the Stone of Unction where Christ was placed after his crucifixion. It was on the stone that Christ’s body was anointed with oils before his burial. If you continue west, you will pass the Place of the Three Mary’s where it is said the holy women watched the anointing.

Farther inside the Church is the Rotunda that contains the Holy Sepulchre (Christ’s tomb).

The rotunda’s exterior was rebuilt by a Smyrna Greek called Kalfa Komnenos after the 1808 fire and has a Turkish Rococo style. In front of the entrance are huge candelabra, and over the doorway hang 43 lamps (13 each belonging to the Greek, Latin, and Armenian churches, while four belong to the Copts). The structure of the tomb conceals the natural rock, which can only be seen in the Coptic Chapel to the rear of the Sepulchre.

Many Chapels can be found throughout the Holy Sepulchre Church, but one of the most beautiful is the Chapel of St. Helena.

Chapel of Saint Helena. Photo credit: Seetheholyland.net

Today, sections of the Holy Sepulchre are controlled by a number of churches. The Chapel of Adam and The Place of Crucifixion, the traditional spot where the cross was placed, are controlled by the Greek Orthodox Church. The Place of the Three Mary’s is under Armenian control.

Within the Church you can find four of the stations of the cross, and they represent the final steps of Jesus’ Passion otherwise known as the Via Dolorosa (the stations are labeled with signs naming each stop).

While the Church was originally built in the 4th Century, it wasn’t until 19th Century that the Garden Tomb was identified as the tomb of Christ. The Garden Tomb is believed to be a possible location of the final resting place of Jesus, but most archeologists question the authenticity of the tomb because it is dated as being older than described in the scripture.

*All photos except the overview of the Rotunda and the image of the Saint Helena Chapel are my own. Please give credit and/or write for permission to use.

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View above the Stone of Unction