via Dolorosa

Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem

The Via Dolorosa (Latin for 'Sorrowful Way', often translated as 'Way of Suffering'; Arabic: طريق الآلام; Hebrew: ויה דולורוזה), sometimes known as the Via Crucis (Latin for 'Way of Cross'; Arabic: درب الصليب, lit. 'Via Crucis'; Hebrew: ויה קרוסיס) is a processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem. It represents the path that Jesus took, forced by the Roman soldiers, on the way to his crucifixion. The winding route from the former Antonia Fortress to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—a distance of about 600 metres (2,000 ft)—is a celebrated place of Christian pilgrimage. The current route has been established since the 18th century, replacing various earlier versions. It is today marked by 14 Stations of the Cross, nine of which are outside, in the streets, with the remaining five stations being currently inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.