According to ancient Christian tradition, after the Ascension of Christ, the Virgin Mary continued to live in Jerusalem, in the home of the Apostle John the Theologian, as Christ had entrusted her to his care from the Cross. Surrounded by the apostles, she passed away peacefully — an event known in the Christian East as the Dormition of the Theotokos.

Her body was carried in solemn procession from Mount Zion through the Kidron Valley to a rock-hewn tomb at the base of the Mount of Olives, near the Garden of Gethsemane. There, the apostles laid her to rest, sealing the stone entrance.
On the third day, when the Apostle Thomas arrived late and wished to see her one last time, the apostles opened the tomb — but it was found empty. According to tradition, this was the moment of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven, body and soul, a mystery commemorated by both Eastern and Western Christianity.

As early as the 4th century, the site of the Virgin’s tomb became a place of pilgrimage. The first small church was commissioned by Empress Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, who also discovered many of the Holy Land’s sacred sites. That first structure was destroyed during the Persian invasion in 614 CE but was later rebuilt by Byzantine Christians.

In the 12th century, the Crusaders constructed the present stone church — a vaulted crypt descending deep into the rock. Its Romanesque and early Gothic features — pointed arches, thick walls, and marble columns — still survive today. The Crusader church was part of a larger complex of buildings, including a monastery and chapels dedicated to Mary’s parents, Saints Joachim and Anne.

After the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187, the church was partially destroyed, though the crypt was spared. During the 14th century, the Franciscan Order, newly established in the Holy Land as Custodians of Christian sites, undertook the restoration of the Tomb of Mary. They repaired the stairway, strengthened the walls, and renewed the altars.

For over a century, the Franciscans maintained the site and held daily services. However, over time, tensions among Christian denominations led to the gradual transfer of the church’s care. By the 16th century, the Greek Orthodox Church and later the Armenian Apostolic Church assumed joint custodianship of the crypt. This arrangement remains in place today, with both communities conducting regular liturgies and vigils in their respective traditions.

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The Church Today

The entrance to the Church of the Tomb of the Virgin Mary lies at the foot of the Mount of Olives, opposite the Kidron Valley. From the courtyard, a wide stairway of 47 stone steps descends into the dimly lit underground chapel. The cool air and flickering oil lamps create an atmosphere of deep reverence.

At the center of the crypt stands the stone sarcophagus, traditionally believed to be the resting place of the Virgin. Side chambers honor the tombs of Saints Joachim and Anne, her parents. The walls and columns, blackened by centuries of candle smoke, bear silent witness to the unbroken continuity of prayer in this place.

Architecturally, the church retains its Crusader Gothic portal with fine stone carvings and twin marble columns — one of the few surviving examples of 12th-century architecture in Jerusalem still in liturgical use.

Worship and Custodianship

Today, the church is jointly administered by the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches, with additional rights of visitation granted to the Franciscans of the Custodia Terrae Sanctae. Orthodox liturgies are held daily, often at dawn, while Armenian services take place on designated feast days. Catholic Masses are occasionally celebrated with special permission.

Pilgrims of all Christian traditions visit the site, particularly during the Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary(August 15 in the West, August 28 in the East), when candlelight processions fill the valley with prayer and song.

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• Location: At the base of the Mount of Olives, near the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations.

• Access: A short walk from the Lion’s Gate of the Old City or from the Mount of Olives road.

• Opening Hours: Daily from early morning until evening (approx. 6:00–18:00 in summer, 6:00–17:00 in winter).

• Entrance: Free; modest attire and quiet reverence are required.

The Tomb of the Virgin Mary is not only one of Christianity’s holiest sites but also a symbol of unity between East and West. Beneath the ancient stones, the faithful continue to whisper prayers that have echoed here for nearly two millennia — where heaven and earth once met at the moment of the Virgin’s eternal rest and glorious assumption.