Im Haus meines Vaters sind viele Wohnungen

In the centre of the old Jerusalem lays the heart of Christianity: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Since the death of Jesus Christ, Christians have used this place for their pilgrimages. And since then, this is the place for an inner-Christian conflict that has both paradox and fanatical traits. The church stands on the holiest Christian site in the world, including both Calvary (where Jesus was crucified) and the tomb (sepulcher) where he was buried, and is continually fought over by its custodians: the major three first appointed by the Crusaders, i.e., Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic and Roman Catholic, then, added in the 1800s, the Coptic, Ethiopian and Syriac Orthodoxies, all jealously guarding their areas and trying to expand their influence. Whoever has charge of the pipe organ at the time has the advantage – as processions and prayers combine for a filmed cacophony that would scare away any potential visitor. Especially claustrophobic was the Holy Saturday ceremony of the Holy Fire, where hundreds of visitors light torches from the fire carried through the crowds by Greek Orthodox priests. Maybe the checkered history of the site has determined the tumult it has become, ranging from a quarry in 100 BC (a popular site for tombs), an early Christian gathering place, a temple to Venus, a total destruction in 1009 by a mad calif, damage by fires, earthquakes, neglect and partial rebuildings, all leading to a mishmash of architectural styles.