- Address: the lower level of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, Israel;
- Phone: 02 627 3314;
- Working hours: Apr-Sept - 5.00-20.00, Oct-March - 4.30-19.00;
- Entrance: free of charge.
Tourists visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem , know about the underground church of St. Helen, located on the lower level of the temple. They hasten to walk along the gallery behind the altar apse of Kafolikon, between the thrones of the Thorn's Wreath and the Separation of Reese, down the steep staircase. The underground church of St. Helena is decorated modestly in memory of the simplicity of the Byzantine tsarina.
The history of the construction of the underground church of St. Helena
The temple of the 12th century was originally a small crypt of the Martyrium, a basilica built during the time of Emperor Constantine. Unfortunately, it was lost as a result of the conquest of the territory first by the Persians, and then by the Arabs.
In the 12th century, the Crusaders rebuilt the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Romanesque style. During the construction work, they searched for the place where the True Cross was found, but found the foundation of the Roman temple. It was decided to turn this place into an underground church dedicated to St. Helen.
As a result, a temple with an area of 20 to 13 meters, modestly decorated, with ancient monolithic columns that support the dome turned out. The dome of the church is at a rather high altitude above the surface of the earth, and light penetrates through its windows.
Underground church of St. Helena at the present time
The temple belongs to the Armenian church, which, according to legend, bought it either from the Georgian Orthodox community, or from the Ethiopians. On the floor of the church there is a mosaic, telling about the history of Armenia, monuments and temples of the state.
In the underground church of St. Helena there are two altars:
- The northern one belongs to the Prudent robber Dismas, who was crucified with Christ;
- central - belongs to St. Helen and her contemporary Gregory the Illuminator.
According to the Armenian legend, after the long prayer of Gregory the Illuminator, who came to worship the Holy Sepulcher, he was awarded the mercy of the Blessed Fire. Behind the stone throne is a bronze statue of St. Helen with a found cross in his hands.
In the right-hand corner of the aisle there is a marble slab, which stands for the location of the Honest Tree. It is here, as the legend says, were found three crosses, established centuries ago on Golgotha . To find out which of them Christ was crucified, the crosses were attached in turn to the person who had just died. After touching the Life-giving Cross, the person came to life.
In the south-eastern part of the church, you can see the benches on which Saint Helena was sitting while searching for the True Cross. On the right side there is a ladder of 13 iron steps that leads to the cave of the finding of the Cross. Going down, you should pay attention to the walls on both sides of the stairs - the surface is covered with a kind of cuneiform written by the Crusaders.
In 1973-1978, archaeological excavations were conducted here, resulting in the discovery of a cave with a Roman ship pattern and two low walls supporting the foundation of the Hadrian II temple and a 4th-century wall built for the Basilica of Constantine. From this cave the Armenian church made a chapel of St. Vartan and created an artificial passage connecting it with the underground church of St. Helena.
Information for tourists
Tourists who have chosen to visit the underground church of St. Helena, you need to know the following information. The entrance to it is free, but visitors should first familiarize themselves with the mode of operation. The church is open every day:
- from April to September - from 5 am to 8 pm;
- from October to March - from 4.30 to 19.00.
But it should be noted that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher closes earlier than this time, so it's not advisable to stay until late in the evening. To visit the shrine during the Christian holidays is extremely difficult, therefore for ordinary tourists the best time for visiting the church is from 15-17 hours. Pilgrims and tour groups in this period is relatively less.
How to get there?
The underground church of St. Helena is located in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher , therefore it will be necessary to get to this shrine. You can reach it by buses No. 3, 19, 13, 41, 30, 99, which follow to the Jaffa Gate , then you have to walk some distance.