Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Hidden within the dense lanes of the Christian Quarter in Jerusalem's Old City, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is venerated as the most sacred site in Christianity. It encloses both Golgotha, the rock of the crucifixion, and the tomb where Christians believe Jesus was buried and rose again. The first basilica here was built in the fourth century at the direction of Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena, and the present church largely reflects later Crusader-era reconstruction.
The church is shared, often uneasily, among six Christian communities, with the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Roman Catholic (Franciscan) churches holding the principal rights, alongside Coptic, Syriac, and Ethiopian Orthodox presences. A delicate arrangement known as the Status Quo governs every shrine and hour of prayer; famously, the keys to the main door are entrusted to two Muslim families, and an immovable wooden ladder has rested on a ledge since the eighteenth century.
At the heart of the rotunda stands the Aedicule, the small ornate shrine over Christ's tomb, recently restored. Millions of pilgrims and visitors pass through each year, filling the incense-laden interior with the chants and rituals of ancient Christian traditions that have continued here for some seventeen centuries.
- Annual visitors
- ≈ 4,000,000
- Location
- 31.7783, 35.2297
- Local time
- 01:38 (Asia/Jerusalem)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Sun | 05:00–20:00 |
Winter (Nov-Feb) opens 04:00 and closes ~19:00; summer until 20:45; free entry, open 365 days
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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Jesus Christ Saint
Site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection; holds the Tomb of Christ and Golgotha
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Saint Helena Saint
Mother of Constantine; Chapel of St Helena commemorates her finding of the True Cross
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Mary Magdalene Saint
Chapel marking where the risen Christ appeared to her
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Theotokos (Virgin Mary) Saint
Chapel/altar of the Sorrowful Mother (Stabat Mater) on Golgotha
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Saint Joseph of Arimathea Saint
Provider of the tomb; commemorated with a chapel in the rotunda
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Saint Longinus Saint
The centurion; a chapel within the church is dedicated to him
-
Saint Dismas (the Good Thief) Saint
Commemorated in chapel relating to the crucifixion
Care & donations
Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Roman Catholic patriarchates (shared under the Status Quo)
Free entry; donations accepted
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