4th century in the Christian Quarter: Jerusalem is generally considered the cradle of
Christianity.During the 4th century,
Emperor Constantine's mother, Helena, journeyed to the Holy Land, aiming to engage in acts of charity and establish churches, particularly in locations associated with significant events in the life of Jesus Christ. During this period, a prominent narrative emerged about Helena's discovery of the cross. This legend, widely recognized in Late Antiquity, is detailed in
Jacopo de Varazze's 13th-century
Legenda Aurea, which not only recounts the myth surrounding the cross but also commends Helena as an exemplary Christian within the
Catholic Church. According to the legend, while en route to Jerusalem, Helena encountered three crosses, one of which was believed to be the cross of Christ, accompanied by the purported nails. The narrative describes three ailing individuals approaching the crosses, with the third person experiencing a miraculous healing upon touching the cross of Christ. The designated site of this discovery is said to be where the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre was subsequently erected. Helena is also credited with the establishment of the
Church of the Nativity. The cross of Christ and other relics linked to this discovery became subjects of subsequent controversies within the church. While there, she identified a site in Jerusalem as Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, and the cave where Jesus was laid to rest. As a bold statement for Christianity in this part of the city, she oversaw the construction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Over the centuries, additional religious institutions and churches were erected nearby, forming a community of Christians.
Kamil al-Husayni, 1921 (1885). Other than some restoration work, it appears essentially the same today.
19th century In the 19th century, European countries sought to expand their influence in Jerusalem and began constructing several structures in the Christian Quarter. The
Ottoman authorities attempted to halt European influence and established rules for buying land in the area, but personal interventions from the heads of those countries, including
Wilhelm II of
Germany and
Franz Joseph of
Austria, led to construction of some buildings for those countries' religious and secular authorities. At the end of the 19th century, there was no further free land for development in the Christian Quarter. In the same period, the
Suez Canal had opened and many Christians travelled to the Holy Land. This led to intensified competition between the European powers for influence in Jerusalem.
France built
hospitals, a
monastery, and hostels for visitors outside the Old City adjacent to the Christian Quarter – an area which became known as the French area. The Russians located themselves in the nearby
Russian Compound. There was a natural desire for easy travel between the Christian Quarter and the new development, but at the time the Old City walls formed a barrier and travellers were forced to take an indirect path through either
Jaffa Gate or
Nablus Gate. In 1889, the Ottomans accepted the request of the European countries and breached a new gate in the Old City walls, in the area of the new development. The gate was called the
New Gate. ==Landmarks==