The place where Jesus died and was reborn - Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a holy place in the hearts of 2.3 billion Christians around the world. It is also the oldest church in the world. It has a history of 1,700 years. According to legend, Jesus was crucified on the cross, was buried and then resurrected. All of the tombs are here and it is also where the last five stations of the Via Dolorosa are located. The five stations are the tenth station: Jesus was stripped of his clothes; the eleventh station: Jesus was crucified; the twelfth station: Jesus died on the cross; and the thirteenth station: Jesus was unloaded and the body was cleaned and the Fourteenth Station: Jesus was buried and resurrected here. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is located in the northwest district of the Old City of Jerusalem. It was originally just a cave. It was a cemetery reserved for himself by the local wealthy Joseph, and later donated to Jesus for burial. In 336 AD, the Christian Roman Emperor Constantine confirmed that this was the tomb of Jesus and ordered the construction of a church on the original site. Since it was built by Constantine the Great in 336 AD, it has experienced numerous destructions and reconstructions. First, the church was burned down by the Persians in 614 AD, and then the church was destroyed by the abbot of Theodosius Monastery from 616 to 626 AD. It was restored by Modestus, and then destroyed by Hakim of the Fatimid dynasty. In 1009 AD, the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX restored the church again, and the Crusaders even The church underwent extensive repairs in the 12th century. Since then, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher has undergone many repairs, restorations and remodeling, becoming what it is today. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher consists of two churches, one is a Greek Orthodox church and the other is a Catholic church. As soon as you enter the church, you can see a piece of red marble, called the Stone of Anointing. According to legend, after Jesus' body was unloaded, no medicine or spices were applied to the stone, and it was wrapped in linen and buried in the tomb. And the blood of Jesus dyed the stone red. Therefore, visitors who enter the church often line up here to touch the rocks to feel and be immersed in the Holy Spirit. After entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, turn right and there is a staircase to reach the upper floor. This was once Mount Golgotha/Calvary where Jesus was crucified. Now it has become the most luxuriously decorated place in the church, with painted circles. On the top, giant lights and murals telling biblical stories are all dazzling. There is also a model of Jesus being crucified above the altar. There is a marble round hole in front of the statue of Jesus under the model, which is said to be the hole where the cross was originally erected. Entering the deepest part of the church is the Holy Sepulchre, the last stop of the fourteenth Station of the Cross. In the center of the rotunda is the ruins of the cave where Jesus was buried discovered by Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great. All the rocks around the cave were cut away, and the Holy Sepulcher was enclosed in what is known as the Edicule. ), every day, believers from all over the world gather in the church, hoping to see the burial place of Jesus. Therefore, you need to reserve at least 30-60 minutes of queuing time, so it is recommended to go early, or go near closing time Visiting the church can save you a lot of time in queues. Tickets: Free to visit Opening hours: 5am to 9pm (April to September) / 4am to 7pm (October to March) Address: Suq Khan e-Zeit and Christian Quarter Rd in the Old City’s Christian Quarter