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The courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Old City of Jerusalem, is known as the parvis. It’s located in the Christian Quarter.
Entrance
The courtyard is entered from either the west or east. The entrance from the west is through a doorway and down several steps. The entrance from the east is at street level near Muristan and the Aftimos Market. The courtyard measures about 20 meters on each side. In the past, it functioned as a market.
Tomb of Philip d’Aubigny
The courtyard is surrounded by several structures and points of interest on each side. First, on the north side of the courtyard between the entrance of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Chapel of the Franks (see below) is the tomb of Crusader Philip d’Aubigny (1166-1236). His ledger stone was discovered in 1925. It was placed below ground level and covered by a grate to protect it from future wear. I’ll try to get a better picture next time.
Chapel of the Franks
Continuing clockwise is the Catholic Chapel of the Franks, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. It was built in the 12th century and used to give direct access to Golgotha. The chapel marks the 10th Station of the Cross where Jesus was stripped of His clothes. It’s possible to peek in from an interior window at Golgotha.
Chapel of St. Mary
A Greek Orthodox chapel dedicated to St. Mary of Egypt sits underneath the Chapel of the Franks. St. Mary arrived in Jerusalem at the age of 29 and converted to Christianity. According to tradition, the chapel marks the spot where she tried to enter the Church of Holy Sepulchre but was stopped by an invisible force. On her third try, she realized it was her impurity and life of sin that prevented her from entering. After praying to the Virgin Mary and begging for forgiveness, she was finally allowed to enter. The door to the right is the entrance to an Ethiopian chapel. On my next visit to Jerusalem, I will try and get a better picture of the Chapel of St. Mary.
East Side
On the east side of the courtyard is the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Abraham; the Armenian Chapel of St. John; and the Coptic Chapel of St. Michael; and the Coptic Chapel of the Four Living Creatures.
Deir es-Sultan
The east side of the courtyard provides access to the Coptic monastery of Deir es-Sultan, which sits on the rooftop of the Chapel of St. Helena. According to the Coptic Church, the space was granted to them by Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (c. 647-705). It contains an olive tree that’s said to be 5,000 years old.
Convent of Gethsemane
On the south side, opposite the façade, is the small Greek Orthodox Convent of Gethsemane (Μετόχιον Γεθσημανῆς). Just in front are the bases of broken columns that once formed an arcade. They were destroyed by the Khwarazmians. Again, better pictures will come in the future.
West Side
To the west of the courtyard are three Greek Orthodox chapels. They were once part of the baptistry complex of the church. The Chapel of St. James to the south was the vestibule, the Chapel of St. John the Baptist in the middle was the baptistery, and the Chapel of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste, at the base of the bell tower, was the chrismation chamber. I don’t have to tell you I’ll take a better photo on my next trip.
Bell Tower
The bell tower was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century. In 1545, the upper level collapsed, and in 1719, two more stories collapsed.
Immovable Ladder
On the window above the entrance is the Immovable Ladder, which has been in place since at least 1728. It hasn’t been moved since Status Quo was established in 1757, except for two temporary occasions. The ladder was used by Armenian monks, who control the window, ladder, and ledge. They used the ledge as a balcony to get fresh air and sunshine.
Entrance
Today there’s only one entrance portal to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The entrance used to consist of two large portals, but the one to the right was sealed in 1187. The portals are flanked by 11 marble pillars topped with Corinthian capitals.
The Muslim Nusaybah family have been the doorkeepers since the 7th century, appointed as an impartial party to the church’s different denominations. The key is made of iron and 30 centimeters (12 inches) long. A Greek Orthodox doorman is required to be present for the official opening and closing of the church.
Cracked Pillar
The middle pillar to the left of the entrance contains a large crack running down its length. in 1580, the Armenians successfully bribed the Ottoman authorities to block Greek Orthodox Patriarch Sophronios IV from entering the church to perform the ceremony of the Holy Light. The Armenian patriarch couldn’t get the Holy Light to shine within the tomb of Jesus or anywhere else in the church.
During these attempts, the pillar cracked open while Patriarch Sophronios IV stood next to it, and the Holy Light shined through the crack. The Armenian patriarch left the church in shame. When Ottoman Sultan Murad III heard about the miracle, he issued a decree recognizing the Greek Orthodox Patriarch’s exclusive right to receive the Holy Light.
Also, according to tradition, a Muslim guard of the church named Emir Tounom witnessed the miracle. He was so impressed by what he saw, he uttered the phrases “great is the faith of the Greeks” and “behold the true faith”. It’s believed that Emir Tounom converted to Christianity and was later burned alive by the Ottomans in order to silence him. His relics are kept in the Monastery of Megali Panagia.
