Chapel of the Ascension

Foundation:
The Church of the Ascension was built in 378 AD during the 4th century by Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great.
Historical Significance and Name Origin:
Forty days after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven. He led His disciples to the summit of the Mount of Olives near Bethany, blessed them, and then ascended. To commemorate this sacred event, Queen Helena commissioned the construction of a small church on the site of the Ascension, preserving its sanctity and significance.
The original church was intentionally designed without a roof, open to the sky, to symbolize Christ’s ascension to heaven. Later, the Roman Princess Poimenia ordered the construction of a round structure on the site, enhancing the earlier design.
Over the centuries, the church faced numerous challenges:
• 614 AD: The Persian invasion led to the destruction of the church and its surroundings. It was rebuilt by Abbott Modestus.
• 1009 AD: The Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah demolished the church.
• 1102 AD: The Crusaders reconstructed the church based on its original design but added modifications. They built an octagonal structure with an open dome supported by a central drum and encircled by a ring of columns. At the center lay the rock imprinted with the footprint of Christ at the moment of His ascension.
In 1187, following Saladin’s takeover of Jerusalem, the church was converted into a mosque. Despite this, Christian pilgrims continued to visit and pray at the site. During the Ottoman era, a mosque was built adjacent to the church. The site remains under the administration of the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem to this day.
In 1835, the Ottoman authorities altered the church’s structure by closing the open dome and adding walls between the supporting columns.
In 1852, the Status Quo Agreement was established to regulate prayer schedules among Christian denominations. This agreement allowed Orthodox Christians to pray at the site four days a year during the Feast of the Ascension (Wednesday and Thursday) and the Feast of Lazarus (Friday and Saturday). Other Christian denominations are permitted to pray only on Ascension Thursday and during Wednesday evening prayer Vespers.
To accommodate worshippers, the Russian Orthodox Church established the Orthodox Monastery of the Ascension in 1870, approximately 200 meters from the Dome of the Ascension. Led by Archimandrite Antonin Kapustin, the monastery was expanded in 1906 to include additional buildings, accommodations for pilgrims, a garden, and a courtyard, all designed in the Byzantine style. Additionally, the Orthodox Church of Galilee, whose name means “Men of Galilee” is nearby.
Architectural Design:
The original church, known as Ambomon (meaning “on the top”), was circular and roofless, with a central courtyard featuring a mosaic and marble floor, approximately 25 meters in diameter. Three concentric rows of columns supported the structure, creating two interior galleries. At its heart lay the sacred rock bearing Christ’s footprint, with an altar above it.
The Feast of the Ascension is celebrated by all Christian churches forty days after Easter (the Resurrection of Christ).