JERUSALEM: The newly restored shrine surrounding what is believed to be Jesus’s tomb was unveiled at a ceremony in Jerusalem on Wednesday following months of delicate work and in time for crowds of Easter visitors.

Religious leaders in traditional robes addressed a ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried. They stood in front of the ornate 19th-century edicule surrounding the tomb, its onion-shaped dome above, as hymns were sung. After speeches, they entered the edicule to pray.

Dignitaries including Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, considered the spiritual head of Orthodox church leaders, were in attendance.

The shrine is a key part of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City. Centuries of candle smoke and visiting pilgrims had left it discoloured and almost black. Parts were also coming loose, with warnings that it was structurally unsound and posed a risk to the millions of pilgrims who visit every year.

Following a $3.7 million renovation led by the church’s three main Christian denominations, the tomb has been painstakingly restored to its former glory — including a warm reddish-yellow colouring. “Before this the monument was black,” said chief renovator Antonia Moropoulou. “This is the actual colour of the monument, the colour of hope.”

Unlike other parts of the church, which were renovated between the 1960s and 1990s, the edicule had been neglected. Moropoulou said restorers systematically dismantled, cleaned and renovated almost all of the edicule, including the columns and upper and inner domes. A window has been installed to allow pilgrims to see the bare stone of the ancient burial cave for the first time.

In October, perhaps the most dramatic moment in the renovation occurred when the cave thought to be the tomb of Jesus was opened for the first time in centuries. Marble slabs were removed to allow for the chamber’s reinforcement. They found a top slab dating from the era of the Crusades, indicating that the tomb had not been opened for 700 years, Moropoulou said.

The work is not the end of plans to renovate the church, located in Israeli-occupied east Jerusalem. which the Palestinians see as the capital of their future state. A fresh $6 million renovation to the churches floors is needed, including protecting from damp.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2017