Domes

Domes

View from the tower of the Church of the Redeemer looking northwest. The largest dome, in the center, covers the traditional site of the tomb of Jesus. The smaller one to its right (east) is built over the Greek Orthodox Catholicon.

In the lower left portion of the photo is the bell tower of the church. Originally, it was two stories higher, but the upper stories had to be removed for fear of its collapse.  The scafolding indicates that the bell tower was under repair at the time this picture was taken.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is said to have been built over the site of the both the crucifixion and the place of the burial of Jesus. The first church was constructed by Constantine, but it was damaged or destroyed - and rebuilt - on a number of occasions. The current structure basically dates to the Crusader period (inaugurated in 1149). For a more general view of the area click here.

See also the alternative sites - The Garden Tomb and Gordon's Calvary.