The fourth-century Church of the Holy Sepulcher was largely destroyed by Caliph al-Hakim in 1009, and partially restored in 1048, during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Monomachus. The Crusaders decided to renovate the building completely. Wilhelm of Tyre relates: "Before the coming of the Crusaders, the place where Jesus suffered at Golgotha, the place where the cross was reputedly discovered, and the place where Jesus' body was interred for burial - these places were small chapels outside the church. However, after they had conquered the city the Crusaders found the church too small, and they added to it a sturdy, high building in which the places mentioned were concentrated under one roof. A bell tower was also built. The rebuilt church was consecrated by the Crusader Queen Melisanda, the daughter of Baldwin II, in 1149, the jubilee anniversary of the city'sconquest. In its current form, the church preserves the Crusader structure. The impressive stone decorations that adorn the facade also date from Crusader times. |
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