Byzantine EmperorConstantine the Great
Builder of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Constantine
(ca. AD 274-337)
(ca. AD 274-337)
Byzantine Roman Emperor Constantine
The first Roman ruler to be converted to Christianity. He was the founder of Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) which remained the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire until 1453. Under the Byzantine (Eastern) Roman emperor Constantine the Great (306-37) Christianity became the religion of the Holy Roman Empire. The population of Jerusalem was gradually supplemented by Christians, and pilgrims flocked to the city.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was built at the order of Emperor Constantine after his mother found the True Cross. Constructed at Christ's tomb, the Church was a circular, domed structure (and is still partly preserved), and nearby was a basilica (see next paragraph); the two are now combined in one building, known as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Other buildings of like character were subsequently constructed, and Jerusalem became a Christian city.
The basilica church consisted of an oblong space divided into a central nave and side aisles, sometimes with galleries. It was entered from one end through a porch, or narthex, beyond which penitents and those not confirmed were not admitted. At the far end was the raised bema terminating in the domed apse, or sanctuary. In the center of the sanctuary stood a canopied altar. Behind it was the bishop's chair facing the congregation, with seats for the presbyters and deacons on either side. Usually an area for the choir, surrounded with grillwork screens and called the chancel, lay between the nave and the bema. The larger basilicas had wings, called transepts, flanking the chancel, to accommodate additional clergy.
To return to the History of the Holy Sepulchre, click HERE
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The first Roman ruler to be converted to Christianity. He was the founder of Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) which remained the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire until 1453. Under the Byzantine (Eastern) Roman emperor Constantine the Great (306-37) Christianity became the religion of the Holy Roman Empire. The population of Jerusalem was gradually supplemented by Christians, and pilgrims flocked to the city.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was built at the order of Emperor Constantine after his mother found the True Cross. Constructed at Christ's tomb, the Church was a circular, domed structure (and is still partly preserved), and nearby was a basilica (see next paragraph); the two are now combined in one building, known as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Other buildings of like character were subsequently constructed, and Jerusalem became a Christian city.
The basilica church consisted of an oblong space divided into a central nave and side aisles, sometimes with galleries. It was entered from one end through a porch, or narthex, beyond which penitents and those not confirmed were not admitted. At the far end was the raised bema terminating in the domed apse, or sanctuary. In the center of the sanctuary stood a canopied altar. Behind it was the bishop's chair facing the congregation, with seats for the presbyters and deacons on either side. Usually an area for the choir, surrounded with grillwork screens and called the chancel, lay between the nave and the bema. The larger basilicas had wings, called transepts, flanking the chancel, to accommodate additional clergy.
To return to the History of the Holy Sepulchre, click HERE
To return to the main page, click HERE