Chapel of Saint Helena - Jerusalem, Israel
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ashberry
N 31° 46.711 E 035° 13.815
36R E 711187 N 3518052
The Chapel of Saint Helena is a 12th-century Armenian church in the lower level of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, constructed during the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Waymark Code: WM14HPE
Location: Israel
Date Posted: 07/12/2021
Views: 7
"The Chapel of Saint Helena is a 12th-century Armenian church in the lower level of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, constructed during the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
In the southeast of the chapel there is a chair which was reputed to be a seat that was sat in by Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine when she was looking for the True Cross. There are two apses in the church, one dedicated to Saint Helena and one to the penitent thief on the cross.
The chronicler William of Tyre reports on the renovation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the mid-12th century. The Crusaders investigated the eastern ruins on the site, occasionally excavating through the rubble, and while attempting to reach the cistern where the True Cross was believed to have been found, they discovered part of the original ground level of Hadrian's temple enclosure; they decided to transform this space into a chapel dedicated to Helena, widening their original excavation tunnel into a proper staircase.
The Chapel of Saint Helena underwent renovations during the 1950s as well, when the previous smaller wooden altar was replaced with the current marble one. The Chapel is one of the most intriguing parts of the church, an underground structure located on the eastern side. Historical accounts from the 9-10th centuries relate the place to the invention of the cross."
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