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Jerusalem-- At 10:00 am on 2 January 1997, the three heads of the Christian communities who are the custodians of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre will gather with their communities, other heads of Christian communities, the consular corps, Israeli and Palestinian dignitaries, and Christians from around the world to celebrate the inauguration of the decoration of the rotunda of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The event will mark the culmination of nearly two and half years of designing and decorating the interior of the great dome.
Since the construction of the first Holy Sepulchre in 335 by Emperor Constantine, this most holy site in Christendom has been repeatedly damaged and destroyed. In the last two centuries alone, there have been two major fires and an earthquake, all causing serious damage to the basilica and the rotunda itself. In 1959, a major plan for restoring and repairing the dome was agreed upon by the three religious communities administering the basilica. The dome was eventually repaired in the 1970's but scaffolding has remained veiling the dome and enveloping the edicule, which enshrines the tomb of Christ, in darkness.
On 17 August 1994, Diodoros I, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Rev. Giuseppe Nazzaro, O.F.M. Custos of the Holy Land, and Torkom Manoogian, Armenian Apostolic Patriarch of Jerusalem, signed an historic agreeement in the Patriarchal Hall of the Greek Patriarchate to restore the dome. The meeting, which was also attended by their consultants, signaled the beginning of a new era of cooperation between the three custodians. The agreement was the pinnacle of numerous meetings and discussions concerning the design of the decoration and the implementation of the project. Funding for the project was made possible by a benefactor from the United States.
The final design was presented and approved at the meeting. Right: Project Manager Anis Srouji (white shirt) looks on as the Patriarchs and their Consultants view the plans. The design embodies common attributes of the three communities and represents the glory of God enveloping the risen Christ. It consists of 12 streams of gold, representing the 12 Apostles. From each ray branch three streams of light, symbolizing the Trinity. Light from the dome's central skylight, as well as from concealed artificial sources enhances the mother-of-pearl background which brightens as it ascends and sparkles with stars. The background is a representation of the biblical description of the luminous cloud of the Divine Presence.
Symbolically, the decoration also represents the good will and fraternal love among the current custodians, and the unity of all the Christian denominations. The project has taken much courage, trust and prayer and heralds a new era of cooperation.
The team that undertook the design, administration and execution of the work hails from different parts of the world. The artist, Ara Normart, is a Californian; the design team is from England, directed by the engineers of Campbell Reith Hill; and the administration and coordination work for the three Patriarchates was undertaken by a local consultant, headed by Marcos Nino. The project was executed under the management of Engineer Anis Srouji and a wide spectrum of contractors from Palestine, Israel and England.