Text: Eszter Götz

After three decades of negotiations, the archaeological excavation under the floor of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem could finally begin in 2022. The work, including the full restoration of the temple, is expected to take 20 years. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built around 330 BC, after the Emperor Constantine’s baptism. The emperor’s mother travelled to the Holy Land to explore the sites associated with Jesus Christ and commissioned monumental churches, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, venerated as the site of Christ’s crucifixion and burial. The current large-scale excavations are of huge significance, as for the first time in history, archaeological experts will be able to study the remains. The full restoration began in 2016, when an interdisciplinary team of specialists from the Athens University of Technology excavated and restored the Edicula Chapel, traditionally built over the rock tomb of Jesus, which is under the supervision of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. The flooring works are being carried out under the direction of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, in collaboration with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and the Armenian Patriarchate.