The Holy Sepulcher Church (Al-Qiyama)
The Church of the Resurrection, also known as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, is among the most significant and sacred Christian churches. Situated within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, it holds immense religious importance as the site where Christ was crucified (Golgotha or the Rock of Calvary), died, buried, and resurrected, according to Christian belief. The church was initially built in 335 AD by Queen Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, after her pilgrimage to the Holy Land where she identified and ordered the demolition of the pagan temple erected over the tomb by Empress Hadrian in the second century AD. Saint Helena's discoveries included the Holy Sepulcher, the Rock of Calvary, and the cross believed to be used in Christ's crucifixion. Upon learning of these findings, Constantine instructed Macarius, the Bishop of Jerusalem, to construct three churches: one over the tomb, another over the "Grotto of the Cross," and a third over Golgotha.
The church suffered destruction by the Persians in 614 AD, but was rebuilt by Modestus, the head of the Monastery of Saint Theodosius, in 629 AD. Later, Heraclius recovered the True Cross from the Persians in 637 AD. When Caliph Omar entered Jerusalem, he received the keys from Patriarch Sophronius and visited the church, though out of respect for the sanctity of the site, he prayed outside the church at what is now known as the Omar Mosque. Caliph Omar ensured religious freedom for Christians, as documented in the Omari Covenant.
In 1009 AD, the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim Bi Amr Allah ordered the destruction of the Holy Sepulcher, but it was rebuilt by King Constantine in 1048 AD. During the Crusades, the Crusaders rebuilt and expanded the church complex, consolidating Golgotha, the Holy Sepulcher, and the site of the True Cross into a single grand edifice. Saladin, upon recapturing Jerusalem in 1187 AD, respected the church's sanctity, and subsequent reconstructions occurred after periods of destruction, including by the Tatar-Mongols in 1244 AD.
In 1869 AD, a collaborative effort by Russia, France, and Turkey facilitated the renovation of the church dome above the tomb, marking a significant restoration in its long history of reverence and resilience