Jesus's tomb site restored to its former glory
After nearly 10 months of restoration work, what is believed to be the tomb of Jesus, at Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, is reopening.
Now with a warm glow
Candles light up the tomb of Jesus inside the newly restored Edicule, or shrine, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Coming full circle
The Edicule from afar: Dignitaries and members of various denominations attended the unveiling ceremony on March 22.
Rising from the grave
Authorities had said in spring 2016 that parts of the Edicule was close to crumbling after centuries of pilgrims visiting the sacred site.
Freshening things up
Restoration experts had to remove the marble slab stone that covered the original tomb since the last restoration of the Edicule in 1810 by Greek architect Nikolaos Komnenos.
Honoring the site
Custody of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is shared by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic denominations.
Bird's-eye view
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City is pictured in 2016, before restoration work began.
Inner peace
Seeking spiritual connection and peace, each year countless pilgrims visit the shrine considered to house the cave where Jesus was buried and, according the Bible, came back to life three days later.