The Church Of The Holy Sepulchre

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About attractions

Of course – the greatest of shrines both ancient and present Christianity is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (or Church of the Resurrection). According to legend, the Temple was built on the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 335 Queen Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine. Having accepted Christianity at quite an advanced age, Helena made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. In the pagan temple of the goddess Venus, then standing on the site of today's Church of the Resurrection, Elena finds a grotto (cave) with a place of burial and resurrection of Jesus. There was, however, found the cross on which Jesus was crucified. According to the legend the cross was not the only one – there were three of them. And to find the one with the martyred Jesus, Elena has applied each of them to the grave of the deceased, in passing along the Church a funeral procession. The legend says that with the touch of the true cross, the dead man rose in front of astonished relatives.

Many times during its existence, the Temple was destroyed, rebuilt, was under Muslim rule, Christians. The way we know Church of the Resurrection today, he became in 1810. After the terrible fire of the Temple had to rebuild almost from scratch.

Today the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is divided into three buildings: the Church of the Resurrection, Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre and the temple at Calvary. The whole territory is clearly divided between the six denominations: Coptic, Ethiopian, Armenian, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Syrian. A kind of "status quo", passed in the middle of the 18th century, often a cause of strife and conflict between the confessions. Therefore, the keys of the main Christian relics preserved for centuries in a Muslim family where passed on from father to son. Muslims open the gates of the temple in the morning and close in the evening.

Inside the temple, just outside the gate is the Stone of Anointing. The very place, where according to legend Joseph of myrrh washed the body of Jesus taken down from the cross. On the stone visitors to the temple sanctifies cherished belongings, piously believing that the consecration – they have a special power.

Right in the centre of the main hall canopy. Marble chapel, where Jesus was buried. Place from a small window which impart to the faithful the sacred, Holy fire. On the contrary, the so – called Church of the Resurrection. In the center of the room, a vase that symbolizes the Navel of the earth. According to legend, in dungeon of this hall Queen Helena found the crosses. The dungeon is called the Place of Finding of the cross.

And of course – Calvary. The hill on which stood the cross with the crucified Jesus. The place where the cross is enclosed by a silver circle. A place, where there were 2 other cross outlined black circle.