The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The entrance to the church is through a single door in the south transept, a narrow way of access to such a large structure.

Calvary (Golgotha)

On the south side of the altar via the ambulatory is a stairway climbing to Calvary (Golgotha), traditionally regarded as the site of Jesus' crucifixion and the most lavishly decorated part of the church. The main altar there belongs to the Greek Orthodox, which contains The Rock of Calvary (12th Station of the Cross).

The rock can be seen under glass on both sides of the altar (photo above), and beneath the altar there is a hole (photo below) said to be the place where the cross was raised.


The Roman Catholics (Franciscans) have an altar to the side, The Chapel of the Nailing of the Cross (11th Station of the Cross). On the left of the altar, towards the Eastern Orthodox chapel, there is a statue of Mary, believed to be working wonders (the 13th Station of the Cross, where Jesus' body was removed from the cross and given to his family).

Beneath the Calvary and the two chapels there, on the main floor, there is The Chapel of Adam. According to tradition, Jesus was crucified over the place where Adam's skull was buried. The Rock of Calvary is seen cracked through a window on the altar wall.

The Stone of the Anointing


Just inside the entrance is The Stone of Anointing, also known as The Stone of Unction, which tradition claims to be the spot where Jesus' body was prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea. There is a difference of opinion as to whether it is the 13th Station of the Cross, which others identify as the lowering of Jesus from the cross and locate between the 11th and 12th station up on Calvary.

The lamps (photo above) that hang over the stone are contributed by Armenians, Copts, Greeks and Latins.

The Rotunda and the Edicule

The Rotunda is located of the Anastasis beneath the larger of the church's two domes, in the center of which is The Edicule of the Holy Sepulchre itself.

The Edicule has two rooms. The first one holds The Angel's Stone (photo above), a fragment of the stone believed to have sealed the tomb after Jesus' burial. The second one is the tomb itself (see next post).

Source: Wikipedia

For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life.
John 3:16