Visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. Pictures might set it up a little better than words.
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| The church from the outside. |
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| Priests chanting and marching. |
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| Golgotha. |
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| Line to enter Jesus' Tomb. |
There were all sorts of people inside the church. There were Islamic tour groups (since Jesus is considered a prophet in Islam), rival clergy from different Christian sects, tourists like me, people clearly here on a religious pilgrimmage, beggars, security guards, and people trying to escape the heat.
The atmosphere inside is an entirely different world than outside. A dress code is strictly enforced, so there were no bare shoulders or revealing attire. I would put this as a "must-visit" for anyone going to Israel.
There were multiple competing church services going on in different languages. Today is Sunday, so maybe that had something to do with it.
I spent two hours inside the church exploring every area. Many tourists hit the highlights and left, but it was such an interesting place to be.
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