The newly restored site said to be the tomb of Jesus Christ at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was presented to media on Monday (March 20), after several months of restoration works.
The work focused on the Edicule, the ancient structure which according to Christian belief is located above the spot where Jesus’s body was buried.
The project’s chief scientific supervisor, professor Antonia Moropoulou from the National Technical University of Athens, said the structure needed reinforcement and conservation.
The last restoration work at the site took place more than 200 years ago after a fire, media reports said, adding that disagreements between the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian churches who share responsibility for the site had delayed conservation works until last year, when the church was labelled as unsafe by Israeli authorities.
Each denomination has contributed funds towards the $3.3m (£2.3m) needed for the project. In addition, King Abdullah of Jordan made a personal donation, media reports said.
(REUTERS)
