Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre stands in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel, and is the most important pilgrimage destination in Christianity. Emperor Constantine ordered a basilica built here after 326 CE on a site identified by local Christians as Golgotha and the tomb of Jesus; it was dedicated in 335 CE. The Persians damaged it in 614, and in 1009 the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim ordered its destruction. The present building is largely the work of the Crusaders, who consecrated a rebuilt church in 1149 combining the rock of Calvary and the tomb under one roof in Romanesque style. The church is shared by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic and Roman Catholic communities, with smaller roles for the Coptic, Ethiopian and Syriac Orthodox churches, under the Status Quo of 1757, and the key to the main door is kept by two Muslim families by long custom. Visitors enter through the south courtyard and first meet the Stone of Anointing, where tradition says the body of Jesus was prepared for burial. Stairs lead to Calvary, the Greek Orthodox and Catholic chapels on the rock of Golgotha. The Rotunda, with its great dome, covers the Aedicule, the small shrine around the tomb. Other features include the Chapel of St Helena, the Armenian chapel and the Crusader-period facade. Restoration of the Aedicule in 2016-2017, by a team from the National Technical University of Athens, opened the tomb slab for the first time in centuries, and the church has also been repaired in the dome and floors. The atmosphere is devout and crowded, with continuous services and processions, especially at Easter and during the Holy Fire ceremony. Visitors should dress modestly, keep voices low and expect a queue for the Aedicule, which admits only a few people at a time.