Church of the Holy Sepulchre

A historic Christian church in Jerusalem built over sites traditionally associated with Jesus’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. It is shared by several Christian communities under a complex system of custodianship and worship.

Constantine the Great: Roman emperor from 306 to 337 who supported Christianity and commissioned major churches across the empire. He ordered the first church complex built over the sites associated with Jesus’s death and burial.
Golgotha: The hill in Jerusalem identified by Christian tradition as the place of Jesus’s crucifixion. The church encloses the rock and chapels commemorating the crucifixion site.
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem: The Eastern Orthodox church jurisdiction headed by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. It holds a leading role in worship and custodianship inside the church.
Holy Sepulchre: The tomb of Jesus in Christian belief, especially as commemorated at the Jerusalem church bearing its name. The church’s name and pilgrimage focus center on this burial shrine.
Helena of Constantinople: The mother of Constantine the Great, traditionally associated with identifying Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. Tradition credits her pilgrimage with identifying the sites commemorated by the church.
Aedicule: The small shrine inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre that encloses the traditional tomb of Jesus. It marks the church’s central burial shrine and has undergone repeated restoration.
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem: The Roman Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction covering Jerusalem and parts of the Middle East. It represents Catholic interests in the church’s shared spaces and liturgies.
Christian pilgrimage: Travel undertaken by Christians to places associated with Jesus, saints, or significant events in Christian history. Visiting the church has been a major Christian pilgrimage practice for centuries.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre (fourth-century complex): The original church complex commissioned by Constantine and dedicated in Jerusalem in 335. Its rotunda and basilica established the earliest form of the shrine.
Stone of Anointing: A stone slab inside the church traditionally associated with preparing Jesus’s body for burial. Pilgrims commemorate the burial preparations at this prominent entrance-area shrine.

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