Renovation has already begun at the Holy Sepulchre at the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem.

Such large scale renovation is carried out at the church for the first time since the 1800s.

“Architect Komnenos, who restored it after the fire in 1808, is the person behind this look of the chapel that exists since the late early 19th century,” Armenian architect Irina Badalyan, who has joined the renovation working group by the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, told Armenian News-NEWS.am. “Nonetheless, the structure was severely damaged in the 1927 earthquake.”

As per the expert, in 1947, the English fortified this chapel from the outside with a metal frame, to prevent its continuing collapse.

“[But] as it turned out during research, the fortification no longer works, and the chapel continues to collapse,” Badalyan added.

Perhaps it was due to this that on March 22 of the present year, the Armenian, Greek, and Catholic Patriarchs of Jerusalem read, at the Church of the Resurrection and in front of the Holy Sepulchre, the general announcement on its renovation. 

The respective professional study group has created a three-dimensional computer model of the Holy Sepulchre, owing to which it will be possible to identically renovate it.

As per Irina Badalyan, the Holy Sepulchre, which is inserted inside the chapel, is a complex structure. 

According to preliminary estimates, €3 million will be spent for this project, and the Greek, Catholic and Armenian Patriarchates will allocate €1 million, each.

The work is expected to be completed within eight to twelve months, but during that time, the Holy Sepulchre will remain open for pilgrims.