Jerusalem, Israel
Via Dolorosa
Fourteen stations threaded through the crowded lanes of the Muslim Quarter, ending inside the Holy Sepulchre.
Biblical significance
The devotional route took its present form in the eighteenth century, though pilgrims have walked a Way of the Cross in Jerusalem since the Byzantine era. It begins near the Lions' Gate at the Antonia Fortress and ends at Calvary and the tomb. Franciscans lead a public procession every Friday afternoon, and the route runs straight through a working market — falafel stands, hardware shops, and the eighth station.
Scripture
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Best time to go
Friday afternoon for the Franciscan procession; Lent for the atmosphere.
Visitor notes
Free and self-guided. Station markers are small Roman numerals — a map helps.
Coordinates
31.7800, 35.2340
On the map
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