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A hodgepodge of architectural and artistic styles defines the interior of the Holy Sepulchre today. The lack of unity may be attributed to centuries of rebuilding, to the number and variety of religious memorials and chapels that have been added throughout the building over the years, and to the differences in outlook of the six Christian sects who now control the complex: Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Syrian, Copt and Ethiopian.

Just inside the church’s main entrance, candles and hanging lamps adorn a slab of stone associated with the anointment of Jesus before his burial. Behind it is the traditional site of the rock of Calvary, originally in a courtyard, now enclosed in the church’s walls.