DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27910#0050
ENTRANCE OF THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE.
ip HIS view represents the entrance and principal front of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
In examining it we are first struck by a singular incongruity, very faithfully preserved by
photography. The style of the architecture, and the decay of much of the more delicate work,
gives the building an air of age that is in contrast with the fresh aspect of a great part of
; the masonry which, moreover, supports or is connected with the apparently older work. This
is explained by the history of the church. In the year 1808 it was destroyed by fire, and
rebuilt by the Greeks, who faithfully followed its old form, using, wherever it was possible, the former
materials. It was fortunate that they did so, for not only have they no ecclesiastical style of their own,
but they have thus preserved in the exterior a most interesting record of the Crusaders. Their work would
indeed, in its faithfulness, put to shame many European restorations. It affords an instance of the extreme
care with which the Eastern churches keep to ancient forms. In like manner the carvings which are made
by the monks of Palestine for sale to pilgrims, are exactly what would have been made by their predecessors
a thousand years ago. Certainly they have not advanced with the times. An observer unused to the East
will be astonished at the neglect which is apparent in a building held in higher reverence than any other by
the Eastern Christians, and not very long since restored at great cost. There is not only an air of general
dilapidation, but on a ledge beneath one of the windows is an unsightly crowd of jars and the like, protected
by a rude rail, while a ladder, attached to the wall, forms a means of descending to the ledge. The mosques
and churches, except those of the Armenians, and some of the Greeks, almost invariably show the utmost
neglect; beautiful portions being walled up, as is the case with the doorway to the right in the present instance,
and fragile ornamental details, which a little care would save, being suffered to go to ruin.
The exterior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as seen in this view, although it suffers much from
the. mean style of the upper portion, presents a very picturesque appearance. The Norman doorways, with
their rich clustered columns and well-proportioned arches, showing a fine mixture of bold and delicate work,
and the not less beautiful, but much injured, wdndows above, one of which has been partly blocked up,
are worthy memorials of the Crusaders. Although not on a grand scale, nor displaying the breadth that
renders many of our Norman churches admirable, this front is in a style at once pure and rich.
We have already noticed the discussion as to the claims of the present building to occupy the site of
the true Sepulchre. Here we shall speak of the history of the several Churches of the Holy Sepulchre.
The first of these was raised by Helena and Constantine. Besides the Church of the Holy Sepulchre there
seems to have been another of Calvary, and a Basilica, all connected, but not forming one building under a
single roof. These edifices were demolished by the Persian King, Khusroo Parvez, the Chosroes of European
historians, when he sacked Jerusalem in his victorious career. After the short heathen occupation the sacred
buildings were soon raised again, and the supposed Holy Sepulchre enclosed, as before, by a church. The
mad Khaleefeh of Egypt, El-Hakim, next destroyed the church, but in his brother’s reign it was rebuilt by
the patriarch Nicephorus. After this time, though it underwent many changes, it does not seem to have
suffered any great injury until it was burnt down in the year 1808. It has been doubted whether the
present building occupies the site chosen for the church of Constantine. If there were a change, it must
have been effected at a comparatively late period. The restoration after the Persian occupation followed too
ip HIS view represents the entrance and principal front of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
In examining it we are first struck by a singular incongruity, very faithfully preserved by
photography. The style of the architecture, and the decay of much of the more delicate work,
gives the building an air of age that is in contrast with the fresh aspect of a great part of
; the masonry which, moreover, supports or is connected with the apparently older work. This
is explained by the history of the church. In the year 1808 it was destroyed by fire, and
rebuilt by the Greeks, who faithfully followed its old form, using, wherever it was possible, the former
materials. It was fortunate that they did so, for not only have they no ecclesiastical style of their own,
but they have thus preserved in the exterior a most interesting record of the Crusaders. Their work would
indeed, in its faithfulness, put to shame many European restorations. It affords an instance of the extreme
care with which the Eastern churches keep to ancient forms. In like manner the carvings which are made
by the monks of Palestine for sale to pilgrims, are exactly what would have been made by their predecessors
a thousand years ago. Certainly they have not advanced with the times. An observer unused to the East
will be astonished at the neglect which is apparent in a building held in higher reverence than any other by
the Eastern Christians, and not very long since restored at great cost. There is not only an air of general
dilapidation, but on a ledge beneath one of the windows is an unsightly crowd of jars and the like, protected
by a rude rail, while a ladder, attached to the wall, forms a means of descending to the ledge. The mosques
and churches, except those of the Armenians, and some of the Greeks, almost invariably show the utmost
neglect; beautiful portions being walled up, as is the case with the doorway to the right in the present instance,
and fragile ornamental details, which a little care would save, being suffered to go to ruin.
The exterior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as seen in this view, although it suffers much from
the. mean style of the upper portion, presents a very picturesque appearance. The Norman doorways, with
their rich clustered columns and well-proportioned arches, showing a fine mixture of bold and delicate work,
and the not less beautiful, but much injured, wdndows above, one of which has been partly blocked up,
are worthy memorials of the Crusaders. Although not on a grand scale, nor displaying the breadth that
renders many of our Norman churches admirable, this front is in a style at once pure and rich.
We have already noticed the discussion as to the claims of the present building to occupy the site of
the true Sepulchre. Here we shall speak of the history of the several Churches of the Holy Sepulchre.
The first of these was raised by Helena and Constantine. Besides the Church of the Holy Sepulchre there
seems to have been another of Calvary, and a Basilica, all connected, but not forming one building under a
single roof. These edifices were demolished by the Persian King, Khusroo Parvez, the Chosroes of European
historians, when he sacked Jerusalem in his victorious career. After the short heathen occupation the sacred
buildings were soon raised again, and the supposed Holy Sepulchre enclosed, as before, by a church. The
mad Khaleefeh of Egypt, El-Hakim, next destroyed the church, but in his brother’s reign it was rebuilt by
the patriarch Nicephorus. After this time, though it underwent many changes, it does not seem to have
suffered any great injury until it was burnt down in the year 1808. It has been doubted whether the
present building occupies the site chosen for the church of Constantine. If there were a change, it must
have been effected at a comparatively late period. The restoration after the Persian occupation followed too