The site is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha (the Hill of Calvary), where the New Testament says that Jesus was crucified, and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Today it also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, while control of the building is shared between several Christian churches and secular entities in complicated arrangements essentially unchanged for centuries.

The Site of the Holy Sepulchre of Jesus lies amidst the buildings of the Old City of Jerusalem. Surrounded by markets, souvenir shops and minarets it invites pilgrims to meditate about the Mystery of Redemption that unfolded at this spot. Time and history have left their scars but it has managed to preserve its incomparable meaning. Even if many a time you find yourself distracted by the masses of pilgrims walking in all directions, you can still fall on your knees and proclaim with joy: "Alleluia! Jesus is Risen, he is not here". Regardless of the Christian denomination you belong to, you will feel that this spot has witnessed the "Glory of God in Jesus Christ".