Church of the Holy Sepulchre Church

Address: Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Old City, Jerusalem (East Jerusalem)

Hours: Generally open daily, hours vary with services (often early morning-evening)

Admission: Free (no admission fee)

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a Christian church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, traditionally identified as the site of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial and resurrection. The original Constantinian church was consecrated in 335 AD and the complex remains a primary pilgrimage destination for multiple Christian denominations.

Inside the compact stone complex pilgrims encounter the large domed rotunda that surrounds the tomb shrine and a raised rock identified as Calvary or Golgotha. Multiple chapels and altars administered by different churches are clustered around the rotunda, and the structure contains many short stairways and narrow aisles that concentrate activity in a small footprint.

Constantine the Great commissioned the first major church on this site in the early 4th century and it was consecrated in 335 AD. The building was damaged and rebuilt on several occasions over the medieval and modern periods, including large-scale Crusader-era reconstruction, and the present complex reflects those layers of rebuilding and restoration.

The church sits in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, adjacent to the Via Dolorosa and within the city walls. It is immediately accessible from the main pedestrian routes through the Old City and is surrounded by narrow streets and other pilgrim sites.

• Custodianship: Shared under the Status Quo arrangement among the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic and Roman Catholic communities, with additional smaller custodial groups present.
• Visiting tip: Best visited early in the morning or during weekday hours to avoid the largest pilgrimage crowds and long queues at the Aedicule.

What to See#

• Aedicule: A small stone shrine that encloses the tomb venerated as Jesus’s burial place; the current structure was rebuilt and altered many times and underwent a major conservation and stabilization project in the 21st century.
• Calvary / Golgotha: A rock outcrop identified in Christian tradition as the site of the Crucifixion; it sits on a raised level known as Calvary or Golgotha and contains several denominational chapels.
• Rotunda / Anastasis: The large domed rotunda that surrounds the Aedicule and forms the visual centre of the complex; the rotunda is part of the Constantinian plan that shaped the church’s present footprint.
• Chapel of St Helena: A multi-chambered area to the north of the rotunda traditionally associated with Helena, Constantine’s mother; it contains several small chapels and archaeological remains.
• Stone of Anointing: A marble slab just inside the entrance traditionally used for anointing the dead and for pilgrims to place relics; it sits on the south side of the entrance nave.

Located in Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter of the Old City, the church is reachable on foot from nearby Old City gates. Public transport and taxis bring visitors to the Old City perimeter; walking is the usual way to enter the narrow streets.

• Dress respectfully - the Church is a functioning pilgrimage site with many liturgies and custodial traditions.
• Expect crowds and queues, especially around the Stone of Anointing and the Edicule; mornings are less crowded than midday.
• Photography rules vary by area and time; follow instructions from clergy and custodians.