3. Church of the Holy Sepulchre
For Christian pilgrims, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is Jerusalem’s holiest site and is said to have been built on the site where Jesus was crucified.
The site for the church was picked by Saint Helena – mother to Constantine the Great during her tour of the Holy Land. She was the one to announce to the Byzantine world that this spot was the Calvary (or Golgotha) of the gospels.
The original church (built in AD 335) was destroyed by 1009, and the grand church you see now dates from the 11th century.
Although often heaving with pilgrims from across the world, the church interior is an opulently beautiful piece of religious architecture.
This is the ending point for the Via Dolorosa pilgrimage, and the last five Stations of the Cross are within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre itself.
4. Armenian Quarter
Running south from the Citadel, Armenian Patriarchate Road is the main street of the Old City’s tiny Armenian Quarter.
Within the narrow lanes here are the St. James Cathedral and St. Mark’s Chapel, which receive much fewer visitors than others in the Old City.
Armenians have been part of Jerusalem’s community for centuries, first arriving in the city during the 5th century. Many more arrived during the Ottoman era and after the Armenian massacres in Turkey during the early 20th century.
This is the Old City’s most tranquil corner to explore and a good place to wander if the press of pilgrims gets too much.
