Church of the Holy Sepulcher

After Via Dolorosa, we made our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which has been a major Christian pilgrimage destination since it was built in the 4th century AD.

The church features the final four stations of the cross. It was built by the Emperor Constantine and is considered to be the site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Christ.

One section of the church was crammed with people waiting to enter through an ornately decorated entrance and see the Holy Sepulcher, which once housed the body of Christ.

Our guide told us this is a 2 to 3 hour wait on a good day and took us to see a different empty tomb, instead. He wasn’t sure who was once buried there, but it was interesting to see this burial niche. People leave prayer candles inside it to this day.

It was nearly sunset when we left. The doors are open from sunrise to sunset. Local pigeons certainly know this. I saw a dozen or so fly into the church to roost as we walked out.Read more