According to records in 2nd century AD the Roman Emperor declared a temple dedicated to Aphrodite to be built over the cave in which Jesus was buried in order to bury the cave. The first Christian emperor, Emperor Constantine order around 325 AD that the temple be replaced by a church.  According to records the church spans from the Golgotha (where Christ was crucified) to the burial cave.  Built in the traditional Romanesque/Baroque style of churches at the time.  No matter what your religion or lack there of, the history of the area is amazing. The city is a historical site for not one, not two, but three different religions.

This modern mosaic depicts the Crucifixion, the Anointment, and the Burial, of Christ. Erected to provide support after the fire of 1808. If walls could talk the stories these stones could tell would be amazing,  Surviving the reign of Constantine, the return of lands back to the Byzantine Empire, the Crusades, and the later Franciscan friars. The fire of 1808 caused the dome of the Rotunda to collapse and were rebuilt within the next two years. Most recently Abdulla II of Jordan announced 3.4 Million dollars for careful renovation.

Filled with engraved archways and magnificent domes, when exploring this ancient church you can feel the history.

When i was exploring through this church it has such an ancient presence you can see the roman influences from Constantine the Great, filled with fresco’s and mosaic’s revealing the history of the site one can easily be overwhelmed. All of the Old City of Jerusalem has this feel  which made it such a hard choice on what i wanted to right about in this blog. but the over all beauty, age, and history definitely brings this to one of my favorite places I’ve been. Whether you believe in any of the religions supported by this site it has such an air to the site its a very humbling experience to see such an influential site that has helped to shape the world we live in.