jesus' burial tomb

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Restorers uncover the slab that held the body of Jesus Christ for the first time in centuriesThe stone slab was inside a chamber of Jesus's tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

The original surface, that was encased in marble since at least 1555 AD was exposed during restoration work

The work was carried out by a team of experts who have done similar restoration work on the Acropolis

It is the first such work at the site where Christians believe Jesus was buried since 1810 

Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem.

THE BURIAL SLAB WHERE CHRIST'S BODY WAS LAID 

Christian tradition says Christ’s body was laid on a slab cut from a limestone cave after his crucifixion by the Romans more than two thousand years ago.

The burial slab was enclosed in a structure known as the Edicule – a word derived from the Latin term aedicule meaning ‘little house.’An ornate structure with hanging oil lamps, columns and oversize candlesticks, the Edicule was erected above the spot where Christian tradition says Jesus' body was anointed, wrapped in cloth and buried before his resurrection. It stands a few hundred yards from the site of Jesus' crucifixion.

With its stone staircases, gilded ornamentation and many dark chambers, the church is one of Christianity's holiest shrines.

Worshippers entering the church.

A monk stands in front of burial entrance.

The entrance to the inner burial chamber.

Inside the burial chamber.

A floor plan of Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, with the Edicule chamber marked in red on the left.

People in front of "The Anointing Stone" where Jesus was prepared for burial.

This file photo shows what the tomb of Jesus in the Holy Sepulchre church has looked like for the past 200 years. It was last reconstructed in the early 19th century after a fire destroyed it. But repairs were long overdue as the structure it was damaged in an earthquake in 1927.

Workers removing the top of the tomb of Jesus Christ in the Church of Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The burial slab was enclosed in a structure known as the Edicule.

Greek preservation experts work to strengthen the Edicule surrounding the Tomb of Jesus, as part of conservation work done by the Greek team in Jerusalem on late on October 28, 2016.

RESTORATION WORKS 

The shrine is being carefully restored. Its marble slabs have weakened over centuries, with the weight of thousands of daily visitors adding to the strain.

Broken or fragile pieces will be replaced and those sections which can be preserved will be cleaned, and the support structures reinforced.

The Edicule and the tomb are currently being restored by scientists from the National Technical University of Athens. Using cotton swabs dipped into a solution of liquid soap and water, centuries-old layers of wax and carbon dioxide are scrubbed away by a restoration expert.

While the tomb is stable, it needs urgent attention after years of exposure to environmental factors like water, humidity and candle smoke.

The Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches are responsible for maintaining separate sections, and each denomination jealously guards its domain.

TURBULENT HISTORY OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE

The church, one of the world's oldest, was built in 325 A.D. by the Roman Emperor Constantine. The structure was destroyed in 1009 by Muslim Caliph al-Hakim. A 12th-century restoration by the Crusaders gave the Holy Sepulchre its current appearance, while in 1808 a fire all but destroyed the Edicule.In 1852, the Ottoman authorities then governing the Holy Land provided a framework for resolving disputes inside the church.  But repairs are long overdue on the structure as it was damaged in an earthquake in 1927.

More than two centuries have past since the last time any restoration work was done in the chamber, partly because it is a holy site for many branches of Christianty.

The original surface was exposed during the restoration work being done at the Church (left, in June, and right, in May).

Christian nuns watch as renovations of Jesus' tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's old city began earlier this year.

An ornate structure with hanging oil lamps, columns and oversize candlesticks, the Edicule was erected above the spot where Christian tradition says Jesus' body was anointed.

Worshippers are pictured praying to the slab underneath the marble casing, before it was uncovered.

A Christian nun kneels in prayer at the "burial bed" of Christ inside the tomb shrine, known as the Edicule.

An ornate marble carving of Jesus Christ decorates the tomb where his body is believed to have been laid

The preservation experts slid back the marble slab stone covering the tomb after three days of restoration.

A Franciscan friar peers into the exposed tomb during the conservation work done by a team of Greek team of preservation experts in Jerusalem.

The burial slab (pictured being revealed from its marble case) many Christians believe once held the body of Jesus Christ has been uncovered by scientists for the first time in centuries.

Church leaders listen to an update on the renovation work from Dr. Antonia Moropoulou, leader of the restoration team.