Church of the Holy Sepulchre – Full Visitors Guide with Photos

According to tradition, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem contains two of Christianity’s holiest sites. They are the Golgotha and Jesus’s empty tomb.

Sepulchre Or Sepulcher?

In past blogs, I always wrote Sepulcher. But when I check Wikipedia, I see that they spell Sepulchre. So what is the correct form of writing?

The short answer is both. According to WikiDiff, Sepulchre and Sepulcher both mean a burial chamber. Sepulchre is the UK version, and Sepulcher is mainly the US one.

Map

Church of the Holy Sepulchre is located inside the Old City of Jerusalem in the Christian Quarter.

Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit

Interactive map of the area:

You can find the following map in several places in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Note: You can click on the map to enlarge it.

On the map above, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is located in squares G5 and G6. If you are looking for a map of the church’s interior, please see the following section.

Church Plan

So far, we have seen the map of the area. But what about the church itself?

We recently visited the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and saw the “In Statu Que” exhibition. This exhibition discussed negotiations of different structures, one of which was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. So in this section, I want to show several photos from “In Statu Que.”

Let’s begin with the model of the church.

In the model above, each church block has a different color.

Note: You can click on the image to enlarge it.

Directions

My favorite way to reach the Old City is by using the Park and Ride system. Park and Ride mean leaving your car at one of the free parking lots near the Jerusalem Light Rail (in my case, and if you are arriving from the center of Israel, it is the Ammunition Hill parking). And then take the Jerusalem Light Rail to City Hall station. The City Hall, located at Safra square, is a short walk from the Jaffa gate.

In my guide to the Old City, you will find other suggestions for reaching the Old City and the Church Of The Holy Sepulchre.

Jaffa gate and Damascus gate are the closest to the Church Of The Holy Sepulchre, but since the Old City is relatively small, you can reach it from any entrance. Usually, we enter from the Jaffa gate and continue straight to the market. Once you enter the market, you proceed straight to Muristan street (third turn to the left). On Muristan street, you will see the Church of the Redeemer. After it, you turn left to Saint Helena Street.

The compound of the Church Of The Holy Sepulchre has two entrances. The one I mentioned above (from the directions of the Church of the Redeemer) is the more common one. You can also enter the church from Christian Quater street (it is helpful if you are looking for a faster way and not through the market to Jaffa gate).

Opening Hours

I have checked three websites, and all listed the same opening hours. And they are:

April – September
Monday – Saturday: 05:00 – 21:00
Sunday: 05:00 – 20:00

October – March
Daily: 04:00 – 19:00

When to Visit the Church Of The Holy Sepulchre?

Unless the hours were changed recently, my experience suggests shorter opening hours. About a year ago, we were in the Old City, and at around 18:00, the Church Of The Holy Sepulchre was already closed. Thus I would suggest arriving earlier. Moreover, since the church is usually crowded (especially during Easter), I recommend coming early. At around 10:00 in the morning, you will see that tourist groups start to arrive. Thus, if you prefer fewer people (and spend less time waiting in line), visit before 10:00 (preferably before 9:00).

Entrance Fee

Free.

Dress Code

As in all religious sites, you are requested to dress modestly. Moreover, I would suggest that women take a light scarf, which can be used to cover the head and shoulders.

Religious Significance

To understand the importance of this church, we need to explain what happened in this place before there was a church.

According to traditions, this church contains two holiest sites in Christianity. They are the Golgotha (also known as Calvary), where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, and Jesus’s empty tomb, where he is said to have been buried and resurrected.

Within the church, proper are the last four (or, by some definitions, five) stations of the Via Dolorosa, representing the final episodes of the Passion of Jesus. The church has been a major Christian pilgrimage destination since its creation in the fourth century, as the traditional site of the resurrection of Christ, thus its original Greek name, Church of the Anastasis (‘Resurrection’).

Source: Wikipedia

Ladder

Here is a photo of the exterior. And if you take a closer look at the second-floor windows (you can click on the picture to enlarge them), you will see a ladder beneath one of them.

This ladder was not moved for more than 250 years. To understand why we need to discuss the Status Quo.

Status Quo

The Status Quo is an understanding among religious communities concerning nine shared religious sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

The status quo stemmed from a firman (decree) of Ottoman sultan Osman III in 1757 that preserved the division of ownership and responsibilities of various Christian holy places. Further firmans issued in 1852 and 1853 affirmed that no changes could be made without consensus from all six Christian communities. The Status Quo’s actual provisions were never formally established, but the 1929 summary prepared by L. G. A. Cust, The Status Quo in the Holy Places, became the standard text on the subject.

Source: Wikipedia

Immovable Ladder

And since the Status Quo understanding, this ladder was not moved (more precisely, almost not moved).

Some consider the so-called immovable ladder under the window of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to be a visible symbol of the alleged inactivity the Status Quo imposes. Made of Lebanon cedarwood, the ladder was in place by 1728 and has remained there ever since the 1757 status quo was established, aside from being temporarily moved twice. The ladder is referred to as immovable due to the agreement of the Status Quo that no cleric of the six ecumenical Christian orders may move, rearrange, or alter any property without the consent of the other five orders.

According to various accounts, the ladder once belonged to a mason who was doing restoration work in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor states that “the ladder was first introduced at a time when the Ottomans taxed Christian clergy every time they left and entered the Holy Sepulchre.” The Catholics adapted by setting up quarters inside the church.

Source: Wikipedia

Note: I visited the Church Of The Holy Sepulchre more than a dozen times. Thus, you will see photos from different times of the day and various seasons. But in all of them, you will see crowds. Therefore, I would suggest reading the section above to determine when to visit.