The last four Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa are found within the
actual building of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre itself, the first of them
being the Station of the Disrobing, on the spur of Golgotha - Calvary. (The 8th
and 9th Stations are within the church precincts but outside the main
structure). Here, Jesus was stripped of his garments and laid on the cross and
nailed to it. This chapel, like the rest of the raised area of Golgotha, has
recently been cleaned of much of the accumulated soot deposited on the wall and
ceiling from the many oil lamps left burning. As a consequence, many of the
mosaics and decorations have come back to life after having been seriously
obscured for many generations. The mosaic in the apse facing you at the eastern
end of the chapel shows the two Marys lamenting over the fate of Jesus. Just to
the right of where the camera is situated is another wall mosaic showing the
attempted sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham and the Angel staying his hand while a
ram is shown in the bottom left of the mosaic, caught by its horns in the
thicket. Immediately to the left of the altar can be seen part of the adjacent
chapel - the Chapel of Mary. On the ceiling can be seen part of the mosaic
depicting the Ascension - the word "Acencio" being clearly visible in the
original.
