Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Traditionally venerated as the site of Christ's crucifixion, burial, and Resurrection.
Plan a trip hereThe Story
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City encloses the two holiest places in Christianity: the rock of Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, and the tomb in which He was buried and from which, Christians profess, He rose from the dead. For Catholics and for Christians of every tradition, it is the church of the Resurrection — the Anastasis, as the Christian East has always called it. The first great basilica here was built by the Emperor Constantine in the fourth century, after his mother St. Helena came to Jerusalem and the tomb was identified beneath a Roman temple; it was dedicated around the year 335. That church was largely destroyed in 1009 by the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim, partially rebuilt by the Byzantines, and given much of its present form by the Crusaders, who consecrated their church in 1149. Successive restorations, including the renewal of the tomb shrine completed in 2017, have preserved the building through fire, earthquake, and centuries of contested history. At the heart of the rotunda stands the Aedicule, the small chapel enclosing the tomb itself. Steps inside the entrance lead up to Calvary, where pilgrims venerate the place of the Crucifixion; below lie the Stone of Anointing and chapels commemorating the finding of the True Cross. Under the long-standing Status Quo arrangement, the church is shared principally by the Greek Orthodox, the Catholic Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land, and the Armenian Apostolic Church, with Coptic, Syriac, and Ethiopian communities also present. Scholars regard the traditional identification of the site as strong: it lay outside the city walls at the time of the Crucifixion and was venerated by Christians from the earliest centuries. Whatever questions history leaves open, the church remains the summit of every Holy Land pilgrimage — the place where the faithful touch the mystery at the center of their faith: Christ crucified, buried, and risen.
Church Recognition
The Holy Sepulchre is the preeminent shrine of Christendom, venerated since the fourth century; the Catholic presence is entrusted to the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land under the historic Status Quo, and the site's liturgies and pilgrimages are fully sanctioned by the Church.
Catholic Teaching
The church enshrines the historical foundation of the faith: the Crucifixion, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (CCC 638–658), of which the empty tomb is an enduring sign (CCC 640); "if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:14).
Plan Your Visit
Practical
Additional Information
The church encloses both Calvary and the Tomb of Christ (the Aedicule); shared by several Christian communities.
Go Deeper
Visit the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land at https://www.custodia.org for information on the basilica and its liturgies; read the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Paschal Mystery (CCC 638–658) and the Gospel Passion and Resurrection narratives, and see classic pilgrim guides such as Murphy-O'Connor's The Holy Land.
Location
Visit the official website ↗ See it on the interactive map →Pilgrim Photos
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In the Area
Other sacred sites within 40 miles.