The restoration program for the Edicule of the Holy Sepulcher was presented at the Jerusalem Patriarchate. In Jerusalem, after restoration, the renewed edicule of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was opened

In the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and all Palestine in the presence of the Franciscan Custode of the Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattista of Pizzaballa and the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Nurhan Manugian, announced the beginning of a large-scale restoration of the Edicule of the Holy Sepulcher.

For the first time in 200 years, restorers will remove the slab from the Three Days Bed of the Savior in the Holy Sepulcher. Restorers must strengthen the structure of the Holy Sepulcher by installing titanium rods into the walls of the cave. Over the next nine months, a group of Greek restorers will work on the restoration of the Edicule, the chapel erected over the Holy Sepulcher.

Specialists will have to clean off the layers of soot and soot that have formed over centuries from the burning of numerous candles. They will also restore and fix the marble blocks of the chapel that have moved over the years and pour a special mortar that will strengthen the masonry made during the Crusades.

Today's structure over the Holy Sepulcher was created in 1810 according to the design of the Greek architect N. Komninos after the devastating fire in the Church of the Resurrection in 1808. The Edicule project implemented at that time was special, since the architect was faced with the difficult task of preserving all the historical details of the original Holy Sepulcher and subsequent structures that were erected over it over the centuries.

Since 1810, the Edicule has not been restored. For several decades, the structure was exposed to weather conditions, since until 1868 the rotunda dome above the Edicule had an open hole in the vault. In 1927 and 1934, serious damage to Edicule was caused by earthquakes, the first of which was magnitude 6. This led to a loss of stability of the structure and the threat of its partial collapse, and therefore in 1947, steel supports were installed around the Edicule as a temporary measure. The building is also negatively affected by increased humidity caused by the presence and breathing of millions of pilgrims and tourists who annually visit the main shrine of Christianity, as well as the thermal effect of candles.

On July 21, 2016, in the Throne Hall of the Patriarchate, there was a presentation of the ongoing project and restoration of the Sacred Edicule of the Holy Sepulcher, carried out in accordance with the research developed by a group of scientists from the National Polytechnic University of Athens "Metsovion" and the project coordinator Prof. Mrs. Antonia Moropoulou.

This presentation was presented to the members of the Administrative Commission in the presence of Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, Custodian of the Holy Land, Fr. Francis and his accompanying Fr. Macora and Fr. Sergius and representatives of the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem Fr. Samuel and Fr. Kourion.

To the members of the above-mentioned Commission and representatives of the three Great Communities, Mrs. Moropoulou presented on the screen all aspects of the project already underway and the methods of restoring the Sacred Edicule using appropriate scientific methods and suitable restoration material.

Of particular interest was the presentation of the findings that the removal of marble cladding reveals, and overcoming the problems that arise, based on scientific and technical documentation and their assessment by a team of scientists from the Polytechnic University.

At the second stage of this presentation, Mr. Nikolai Moropoulos, as project manager, presented the amount of funding to date and the costs of the project and the amount required to complete this project. The restoration is planned to be completed by Easter next year 2017.

After this presentation, His Beatitude conferred with the Custode and his accompanying representatives of the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem at a meeting of the Committee of the Custodes of the Holy Sepulcher (Project Owners Committee).

The Armenian Apostolic Church will take part in the restoration of the Edicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church will help the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the restoration of the Edicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

According to the press office of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Nurkhan Manukyan, asked for help.

“Given the importance of Jerusalem in national life and the responsibility of the Armenian Church in preserving the Holy Land, the Supreme Spiritual Council, chaired by Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, pledged to help the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and provide the necessary amount with the assistance of dioceses around the world,” the statement says.

The Holy Sepulcher is the main shrine of the Christian world, a tomb in the rock where, according to the Gospel, Jesus Christ was buried after the crucifixion and resurrected on the third day. The tomb is the main altar of the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. At the beginning of the 4th century, the Edicule of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was erected above it, which has not been restored since 1810.

Aegean Airlines sponsors restoration work at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Aegean Airlines responded to the proposal of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) to become a sponsor of the restoration work of the Holy Edicule of the Holy Sepulcher, the website of the Church of Jerusalem reports.

Patriarch Theophilus of Jerusalem and professor-seismologist of the National Technical University of Athens Antonia Moropoulou made this request to the airline management.

The airline has committed itself, during 2016 and early 2017, to allocate 50 free tickets every month in the direction of Athens - Tel Aviv for the transportation, if necessary, of members of the interscientific group of the National University, other specialists within the framework of the program “Restoration and preservation of the Holy Edicule of the Holy Sepulcher in Most Holy Temple of the Resurrection in Jerusalem."

If necessary, transportation of teaching staff will also be provided within the framework of the master's program "Conservation of Monuments" of the National Polytechnic University, this opportunity can also be used for the transportation of mail.

Despite restoration work, pilgrims can still enter the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher

Edicule (chapel) of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem - hidden by scaffolding and tarpaulin due to restoration work. But, despite this, numerous pilgrims still have the opportunity to get closer to the greatest shrine of the Christian world.

A reliable metal structure provides safe passage to the cave where, according to legend, Jesus Christ was buried, while work to strengthen the edicule is carried out day and night.

The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land regularly publishes reports on the progress of the restoration of the shrine. “Currently, the main work is being carried out on the northern façade of the chapel,” informs the website terrasanta.net. – Baroque-Ottoman architecture outlined the outlines of three blind windows here. Based on the analysis of photographs, it can be concluded that the current wall was built over two different periods - this is evidenced by the fact that it consists of different types of stones."

The noisiest work—using hammers and drills—is carried out at night. Fragments of marble cladding are moved to the Franciscan Gallery, located under the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, using a special lift.

The restoration of the shrine, which is estimated at $3.3 million, is being paid for by the Catholic, Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches. In April, King Abdullah II of Jordan donated a significant amount for the work.

Archaeologists who examined the tomb of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem claim that this relic is identical to the onewas discovered under the Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4th century. According to The Independent , scientists came to this conclusion after studying the contents of the burial. It turned out that under the white marble slab covering the coffin there was a shelf made of limestone. It was on it, according to experts, that the body of Christ was placed. However, here scientists also discovered fragments of a second slab, which was not previously known to science. Its color is darker - closer to gray, and on top it has an engraving in the form of a cross, which could have been left by the crusaders in the 12th century.

The sensational discovery poses an even more important task for scientists. Now they have to turn to the experience of ancient excavations, which were led by Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine, and find out why she had no doubt that the tomb found by the Romans was the burial place of Jesus Christ.

Important details about marble slab from the Holy Sepulcher and in general, Life was previously told about the reconstruction of the main temple of Christianity by the vice-president of the St. Basil the Great Foundation, Mikhail Yakushev, who worked in Palestine first as a diplomat, then as an employee of St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation “Ask for the Peace of Jerusalem.”

Ekaterina Korostichenko (Life): Mikhail Ilyich, to what century does the slab from the Holy Sepulcher that is currently being reconstructed belong?

Mikhail Yakushev: We must understand that the marble slab to which pilgrims kiss and which has now been taken for reconstruction to Athens National Archaeological Institute, does not in any way correlate with the one on which the body of the Savior crucified by the Romans was once placed. This is a man-made creation of relatively recent times, a remake, so to speak. Which, however, does not negate its holiness: after all, under it is the rocky bed where the body of Christ lay.

However, already in 1555, during the reconstruction of the Edicule (crypt or chapel) in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, a new slab was laid there at the burial site of the body of Jesus Christ. There is a legend, seemingly even confirmed, that the previous - original - slab was taken to Rus' by the legendary Novgorod hero Vasily Buslaev.

In 1808, a terrible fire occurred in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, when even the dome and columns of the church collapsed, everything burned to the ground, even the stone melted. After recovery allThe Edicule - both the external and internal parts - has undergone major changes. New stove was made of the same beautiful white marble with which the entire internal surface of the Edicule is lined.

Secondly, let me explain that we are not just talking about the restoration of the slab, we are talking about a major overhaul of the Edicule. And the fact that now this has happened is a great joy for us, Orthodox people, for all Christians, because this Edicule has needed major repairs for a long time.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher has long required repairs after repeated damage, after the aforementioned fire in 1808, powerful earthquakes in 1837 and 1927 (after the last of them, cracks appeared in the slab), bombings (in 1967, during the Six-Day War, an Israeli shell hit the dome, which was also fire and the interior of the Edicule was damaged). Humidity and soot, constant smoke from thousands of burning candles led to the fact that the condition of the Edicule required immediate efforts for immediate restoration.

- Why didn’t this restoration start earlier and who is involved in it?

The fact that this could not happen testifies to the contradictions between the governing Christian denominations existing there in the person of the Orthodox Jerusalem Patriarchate, the Catholic Franciscan Order and the pre-Chalcedonian Armenian Apostolic Church in the person of its Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem.

Already last year, at a meeting with the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III on the eve of Easter, he announced the start of this restoration project, expressing great concern that the Israeli authorities demand that during the period of major repairs, which is expected to last 8-9 months, not allow believers to Edicule, to that slab, which is now also undergoing major repairs. He called on all Christian communities - both Orthodox and non-Orthodox - to raise their voices to influence the decision of the Israeli authorities. As a result, it was possible to achieve the removal of the Israeli demands to prevent believers from worshiping at the Edicule.

The main work on the major overhaul of the restoration of the Edicule is carried out by the Greek side, represented by the Athens National Archaeological Institute. But in order not to leave 100 percent of the repairs to the Greeks, as was the case in 1808, the Franciscan Order and the Armenian Patriarchate were also involved. Each denomination will allocate $3 million for restoration. Perhaps the amount will be required a little more, but these restoration works are estimated at around $10 million.

By agreement, all restoration work will be completed before Easter next year.

Life: Is the Russian Orthodox Church involved in restoration work?

When a secret fundraising for the required $3 million was announced by the Orthodox in the person of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Russian pilgrims also contributed a lot of money.

Let me also remind you that in 2012, when the question of paying for utility bills arose, Israeli companies presented the Jerusalem Patriarchate with an invoice for nine million shekels (about $2.4 million) as the owner of a “controlling stake” in the temple. The Patriarch then appealed to many leaders of Orthodox states, and only Vladimir Putin responded, after which Israeli companies wrote off their debts. The Russian side has always participated in caring for the Holy Sepulcher: it collected money for the repair of the temple in 1808 and shed blood for the rights of the Orthodox population in the Crimean War of 1853-1855, which was called “the war for the holy places of Palestine.”

You mentioned Russian legends about the Holy Sepulcher. Could you tell us more about them, in a real historical context?

The legends are connected, first of all, with the visit of Jerusalem in the 12th century by the Russian pilgrim Abbot Daniel. He described in detail his journey to Jerusalem (it was preserved in ancient Russian chronicles), and the procession around the Edicule. It was then of a completely different form, and then the Orthodox bishop did not go there to receive the blessed fire - the fire itself fell on the candles and bowls of oil. When the fire went down, they received the flame and took it away. Hegumen Daniel also took a piece of the holy blessed fire and took it to Rus'.

There is also an epic legend that has interested many scientists that the hero and traveler Vasily Buslaev from Veliky Novgorod, who supposedly lived in the 14th or 15th centuries, made a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulcher and took with him to Rus' a stone, that is, a slab that covered the bed of the Lord. Allegedly, even this slab was later discovered somewhere in Russia. There are even documentary studies on this topic.

Thousands of people from all over the world came to Jerusalem to see the miracle with their own eyes. This year they saw the familiar Edicule this is the name of the chapel over the burial place of Christ in a new light. For the first time in many years it was restored. During the work, scientists had to move a stone slab, under which, according to legend, the grave of Jesus Christ is located. Correspondent Ivan Trushkin they told what the restorers had discovered.

For those who have been to Jerusalem or followed the television broadcasts from the Temple of the Resurrection year after year, the renewal of the Edicule immediately catches the eye. The chapel, erected at the burial site of Jesus, seemed to brighten up after the restoration - this is very noticeable when compared with the shots taken a year ago. But removing soot is perhaps the easiest part of the job.

The heat of millions of candles burning nearby, multiplied by humidity, are not the best conditions for the preservation of the chapel, erected in 1810. But two earthquakes of the 20th century had a truly devastating effect. The Edicule survived them, but in recent years it was obvious that it needed a full-scale renovation.

Antonia Moropoulou, professor at the Athens Polytechnic Institute: “We started by removing the outer stone cladding of the Edicule and discovered that the historic masonry of the lower part had swelled from rainwater that had been falling here for several decades.”

Limiting yourself to cladding means not doing half the work. The chapel stands on the limestone rock of the Holy Sepulcher, and the more the Edicule settled, the more the rock was destroyed - they decided to introduce a fastening solution into it. And to prevent it from penetrating directly into the burial bed, experts decided to open it. They began to move the marble slab millimeter by millimeter on October 26, 2016.

Isidore, Archbishop of Hierapolis, Guardian of the Holy Sepulcher: “There was quite a lot of land there. When they took it out, we saw the place where the Savior’s body rested after the crucifixion.”

Scientists here are unanimous with church hierarchs: what at first glance seems like sacrilege was an integral part of the restoration. The slab was moved because it was necessary, and not out of research interest. Moreover, during the work, experts noticed phenomena that were difficult for them to explain.

Theophilus III, Patriarch of Jerusalem: “The instruments not only did not work, they were out of order. It was expensive high-tech equipment. Why didn't it hold up? Very strong energy emanates from the rock of the Holy Sepulcher, and the equipment is simply not able to withstand it.”

Now believers have the opportunity to examine a fragment of the rock. The next step will be to repair the Kuvuklia drainage system. In general, the restoration has become an illustrative example of the unity of different churches, which own different parts of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, but they are not always able to come to an agreement. But here is a complete understanding.

As for the believers, the majority approved of the restoration, but there were also those who grumbled, saying, don’t touch the shrine, don’t anger God, otherwise we will no longer see the pre-Easter miracle - the descent of the Holy Fire. We will find out who was right today. Broadcast of the descent of fire from Jerusalem.

GREEK SPECIALISTS HAVE COMPLETED THE RESTORATION OF THE Edicule of the TEMPLE OF THE LORD'S SEMI IN JERUSALEM. ITS OPENING TOOK PLACE TODAY.

As Tsargrad previously reported, restoration work is being carried out in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Today, in the presence of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem, the opening of the chapel took place. Greek specialists have completed the first restoration of the Edicule of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Let us remember that it was erected in 1810 and since then has never been restored. In 1927 and 1934, earthquakes occurred, as a result of which the Edicule was damaged. Since 1947, it has been supported by metal beams installed for this purpose.

It is reported that it was the restoration of the Edicule that was announced as the main purpose for which work was carried out in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher since last year.

Money for restoration was collected all over the world.

On the morning of Wednesday, March 22, the renovated church was officially opened, and the first photographs appeared. A team of restorers worked at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for nine months and focused their efforts on strengthening and preserving the Edicule - a small domed chapel located in the center of the temple's circular room (Rotunda), above the place where, according to Christian beliefs, the body was buried and rested for three days Jesus.

This is the first work of this kind carried out since 1810, when the temple was restored and rebuilt after a fire. Architect Antonia Moropoulo, head of the restoration project, said the structure needed extensive reconstruction and strengthening.

The work became possible after a rare agreement was reached between the denominations (Catholic, Orthodox and Armenian-Gregorian) that are responsible for the maintenance of the Edicule.

Sectarian clashes had hampered renovation work for 200 years, but differences have now been put aside in recognition of the urgent need for reconstruction.

According to reports, all six Christian denominations sharing the Church of the Holy Sepulcher among themselves contributed financially, as did Jordanian King Abdullah. The cost of the work is estimated at $4 million.

Since last July, 50 specialists from Athens have been working in the temple, who previously restored the Acropolis in the capital of Greece and the Church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Restorers worked mainly at night so that worshipers could continue to attend church.

In October, during restoration work, scientists for the first time in 450 years removed a slab from the burial bed in Edicule, which appeared there in 1555 to protect the stone from pilgrims. After cleaning, the bed was again covered with a marble slab.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was built in 325 by Emperor Constantine the Great, it was destroyed in 1009 by order of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim "the Mad", restored by Emperor Constantine Monomachos and then in the 12th century by the Crusaders. In 1808, a fire broke out in it, after which the Temple was restored for the last time.

It was restored for the first time in two centuries

Greek specialists have completed the first restoration of the Edicule of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, in the depths of which, as Christians believe, Jesus Christ was buried and resurrected three days later. Today, in the presence of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III, the opening of the chapel took place.

The Edicule (from the Greek Κουβούκλιον and the Latin Cubiculum, meaning "bedchamber"), or aedicule (from the diminutive form of the Latin aedis - house, temple, chapel) is a yellow-pink marble domed chapel measuring 6 by 8 meters in the center of the Rotunda of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. Reportedly, the edicule was originally planned to be opened by Easter, but restoration work was completed ahead of schedule.

Work to restore the chapel over the Holy Sepulcher has been carried out since last year. It was erected in 1810 and has never been restored since then. In 1927 and 1934, earthquakes occurred, due to which the edicule was significantly damaged, and since 1947 it was still supported by metal beams installed for this purpose. At the end of February of this year, experts decided that the building was again sufficiently stable, and it was freed from the beams.

It was the restoration of the cuvuklia that was announced as the main goal for which work was carried out in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher since last year. Experts especially noted that the restoration work was carried out as delicately and quietly as possible, taking into account the significance of the place for believers. As part of the restoration work, the tomb was opened, which allowed archaeologists to obtain a lot of valuable information.

Experts have for the first time removed a marble slab that supposedly covered the tomb since 1555 and has not been lifted since then. Under it, many stones were discovered, densely filling the tomb, and below them - another slab on which a cross was carved - it is assumed that it was installed during the Crusades, carried out in the 11th-15th centuries. Finally, under the second slab, experts discovered a burial bed carved into the limestone, which, according to scientists, is from the time when the tomb appeared.

Religious figures, including representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, reacted with understanding to the opening of the tomb.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was built where Saint Helen, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine I, is said to have discovered the burial of Christ. It is believed that this happened after she arrived in Jerusalem in 326 for the purpose of pilgrimage and search for Christian relics.

The Edicule was first erected in 325-335, but was completely destroyed at the beginning of the 11th century. In 1042-1048, it was rebuilt for the second time by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomakh, and then it was renewed by the Crusaders in the 12th century, rebuilt by the Franciscan Boniface of Ragusa and destroyed by fire in 1808. In 1809-1810, the aedicule in its current form was restored according to the design of the Greek architect Nicholas Cominus from Mytilene, the largest city on the island of Lesvos.