Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem

The key to the main door of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher has been held by a Muslim family – the Joudeh family – since the time of Saladin in the 12th century. The actual opening and closing is carried out by the Nuseibeh family, also Muslim, who have served as doorkeepers since the same period. The arrangement exists because the six Christian denominations that share custody of the church (Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Coptic, Ethiopian, and Syriac) cannot agree on which of them should hold the key. This is a reasonable introduction to the Church’s character: a building of immense spiritual significance where the complexity of shared administration produces outcomes that are simultaneously absurd and instructive about human nature.

The church covers the traditional sites of the Crucifixion (Golgotha/Calvary) and the tomb of Jesus (the Sepulcher itself). These two sites are remarkably close to each other – the Romans executed criminals near burial grounds, which is why the tomb was adjacent to the execution site. Most of what you see in the church was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century, though the site has been built and rebuilt since the 4th century CE.

What to See

The Stone of Anointing just inside the entrance marks where tradition holds Jesus’s body was prepared for burial. It is a flat stone slab with candles, and pilgrims kneel and press their hands and objects to it.

The Edicule – the small marble structure inside the rotunda – houses the tomb itself. The queue to enter the tomb can run one to two hours in peak season; arrive before 7am if you want to enter without a long wait. The current marble structure dates from 1810; the original rock-cut tomb beneath it was verified by Greek Orthodox archaeologists in 2016, the first scientific examination since the 1840s.

Golgotha/Calvary is a raised platform inside the church, accessible by stairs. The glass panels in the floor show the bedrock beneath. This is the traditional site of the cross.

The Immovable Ladder – a wooden ladder resting against a window ledge above the main entrance – has stood in the same position since at least 1757, when it appeared in an engraving. Moving it requires consensus from all six custodian denominations; none have agreed. It remains.

Visiting

The church is open daily from 5am to 7pm (earlier closure on some days). No admission charge. Dress code is modest – shoulders and knees covered. The space is genuinely crowded during pilgrimage seasons (Christmas, Easter, Holy Week). Witnessing a Good Friday or Easter Sunday service is a significant experience; arrive early and expect dense crowds.

Around the Old City

The Via Dolorosa – the route Jesus walked to the crucifixion – runs through the Muslim Quarter from near Lions’ Gate to the church. Fourteen stations mark the route. The Western Wall is about 500 metres southeast. The Old City is compact; the main Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Armenian Quarter sites are all within a 15-minute walk of the church.

Eating and Staying

For eating in Jerusalem, Machneyuda near the Mahane Yehuda Market is the most frequently cited serious restaurant. For Old City eating, the Arab bakeries in the Muslim Quarter serve ka’ak (sesame bread rings) and za’atar flatbreads at street level – some of the cheapest and most satisfying food in the city.

For accommodation, the American Colony Hotel in East Jerusalem is the most historically noted option; the Hashimi Hotel inside the Muslim Quarter provides authentic Old City location at budget prices.