Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The history of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre begins in the 4th century, when, following a visit by Empress Helena in 325, the sites of Jesus' death and resurrection were discovered beneath a Roman Aphrodite temple. Emperor Constantine subsequently commissioned a basilica from 326, consecrated in 335, which encompassed the tomb and Golgotha Hill. In 614, the church was damaged by the Persians but restored by Emperor Heraclius in 630. A destruction occurred in 1009 by order of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Ḥākim, who largely demolished the rock-cut tomb. This event contributed to the First Crusade. After the Crusaders conquered Jerusalem in 1099, the area east of the Rotunda was redesigned around 1160/1170 with an extension that formed the church still standing today. Since the 16th century, control of the church has shifted between various Christian denominations, until firm divisions were established by Ottoman firmans in 1767 and 1852. These ownership arrangements remain valid today and even led to the Crimean War in 1853.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is located in Jerusalem, in the Jerusalem District, Israel, at an elevation of approximately 767 m above sea level.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is accessible to visitors today and is managed by six Christian denominations: the Greek Orthodox, the Roman Catholic (Franciscan Order), the Armenian Apostolic, the Syriac Orthodox, the Coptic, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The keys to the church have been held for centuries by the Muslim Nusseibeh family, while the Joudeh family opens and closes the main gate. Inside are sanctuaries, including the Tomb Chapel (Aedicule), the Stone of Anointing, and Calvary with the Crucifixion Altar.