Via Dolorosa, "The Path of Sorrow" - extremely important for the Christians of Jerusalem Street. It is for her, according to tradition, Christ carried His cross to the place of crucifixion.

Way of the Cross are beginning for the Lion's Gate. We know that the destruction of Jerusalem in the I century, the Romans built on the ruins of the city of Aelia Capitolina. The modern Via Dolorosa, part of its main street, hardly corresponds exactly to the last real way of Christ. But, apart from the geographical, from the Cross there is another dimension - the spiritual.

In the Catholic Church during Lent conduct worship of the Cross, giving the faithful an opportunity to again and very personally experience the suffering of Jesus. Normally at the temples placed fourteen images corresponding events Way of the Cross. Near them kneel, making the so-called state. On the Via Dolorosa standing round black marks marked with Roman numerals, nine of them on the street.

The first distance - not far from the Lion's Gate, the school of Al-Omariyya. It is believed that there was a praetorian where Pilate judged and delivered him to the crucifixion of Jesus. Archaeological excavations indicate that in fact was the praetorian elsewhere south of the Jaffa Gate. However, this is where the tradition puts the beginning of the Path of sorrow length of six hundred meters.

Across the street - the second state. Here the Savior took upon his shoulders the heavy wooden cross. In the Church of the Flagellation of the nearby Franciscan monastery has stained-glass windows, which - Pilate washing his hands, the scourging of Jesus and His crowning with thorns, jubilation pardoned robber Barabbas.

A third state, on the corner of El Wad, commemorates the place where Jesus fell for the first time under the weight of the cross. In the tiny Armenian Catholic chapel of the XV century - a fresco depicting Christ and stumbled worshipers of Him angels.

On the fall of Christ during the Way of the Cross Scripture does not say anything. But tradition dictates that there were three, all of them are marked on the Via Dolorosa (the third, seventh, ninth state). Tradition also indicate a meeting place of Jesus and his mother Mary (the fourth state), and the Holy Veronica, otershey His face silk handkerchief (six). But a meeting with Simon of Cyrene, who bore the cross instead of Jesus (fifth state), - an event mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. As the Savior's appeal to the women of Jerusalem: "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not cry for me ..." (Lk. 23:28) - is the eighth state.

The rest of the state - in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: ten (Jesus deprived of clothing), eleventh (nail to the cross), twelfth (the Saviour dying on the cross), the thirteenth (remove Jesus from the cross) and the last fourteen (Christ believe in the tomb).

Via Dolorosa today bears little resemblance to the place of concentration and prayer from the shouts of street vendors stalls rush, crowded, noisy. But it was such a picture was seen going to the penalty seething streets of Jerusalem Christ. The bridge Via Dolorosa there are several stone slabs probably istёrtyh More sandals Roman soldiers. You can imagine that it trod bloody feet of the Savior.