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RESTORATION OF NATIVITY CHURCH HAS COMMENCED
Palestine News Network (PNN) - English
November 3, 2013 Sunday
By Mariam Nabil/ PNN Exclusive
The Nativity Church in Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus and
an important destination for millions of pilgrims, tourists and
worshipers. When entering this important historical and religious site,
tourists observe the wooden roof, the beautiful clerestory windows,
which are covered with mosaics depicting the ancestors of Jesus and
providing illumination for the church's interior. A new project has
been set by the Palestinian government, with the help of European
countries, for the restoration of the Nativity church. This project
will be divided into four phases, expected to take one year of work.
The first phase will be the restoration of the church's roof
and windows. Ziad Al-Bandak, President Mahmoud Abbas' adviser for
Christian affairs, said that the Nativity church is one of the most
important churches for Christians in the world, and is part of the
Palestinians' historical heritage. For centuries, there has been
significant interest in preserving this church due to the wars and
natural disasters that have weakened its structure. He also said that
this project is considered the first comprehensive restoration work for
the church since it was erected in the third century. Al-Bandak added
that the restoration of the roof is important because the church has a
problem of rainwater leakage from the roof and windows, affecting the
church's walls and mosaics. He also said that an appeal was sent to
three churches: The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Armenians Orthodox
Patriarchate and the Custody of the Holy Land, as these churches
have full authority over the Nativity Church. The state of Palestine
has contributed 2 million dollars and the Palestinian private sector
contributed 750,000 dollars. Other countries also offered funds for the
project, including Hungary, Russia, Greece, The Vatican and France. The
project is expected to cost around 17 million Euros. Afif Tweimeh,
Project Manager for the Restoration of Nativity Church, said that
this project was first proposed as an international bid to get the
best offers for the restoration. About the project, Tweimeh said,
"In the first phase, we will first prevent damage from the leakage
and then other parts of the church will be restored throughout the
project." He continued, "Some parts of the ceiling will be replaced and
other parts will be restored based on the design that was previously
outfitted by the Consultative Group, in cooperation with a partner
group in Italy." The restoration work is being done at night when the
church is empty, in an attempt to avoid disrupting visitors and for
the sake of their safety. Issa Morra, Structural Engineer, said that
the first phase of the project, restoration of the roof and windows,
is the most important. According to Morra, the scaffoldings were
brought from Italy, for the safety of the workers.
He said, "Our biggest challenge will be completing the work in one
year, while ensuring that the church can continue to receive pilgrims,
tourists and worshipers without any obstacles." He pointed out that
most of the material used for the restoration of the roof has been
imported from abroad, mostly from Italy, because they undergo certain
technical standards, and due to the fact that the wooden construction
materials are not available in Palestine. Italian Marccelo Piattini,
the Technical Manager of the project, said that the wood that was
used 500 years ago to construct the roof of the Nativity church was
brought from Italy, and, in his opinion, it is better to use the same
material from Italy for the roof's current restoration. Italians and
Palestinians are working together on this project, he added. This
project is an important step taken by the Palestinian Authority,
in collaboration with European countries, to preserve one of the
most historical and religious sites in the world. Restoration of the
church's windows and roof will be followed by work on the interior,
including the mosaics, columns, floor and walls. This project will
ensure that the Nativity Church will always have an open door for
worshipers, tourists and pilgrims from around the world.
Palestine News Network (PNN) - English
November 3, 2013 Sunday
By Mariam Nabil/ PNN Exclusive
The Nativity Church in Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus and
an important destination for millions of pilgrims, tourists and
worshipers. When entering this important historical and religious site,
tourists observe the wooden roof, the beautiful clerestory windows,
which are covered with mosaics depicting the ancestors of Jesus and
providing illumination for the church's interior. A new project has
been set by the Palestinian government, with the help of European
countries, for the restoration of the Nativity church. This project
will be divided into four phases, expected to take one year of work.
The first phase will be the restoration of the church's roof
and windows. Ziad Al-Bandak, President Mahmoud Abbas' adviser for
Christian affairs, said that the Nativity church is one of the most
important churches for Christians in the world, and is part of the
Palestinians' historical heritage. For centuries, there has been
significant interest in preserving this church due to the wars and
natural disasters that have weakened its structure. He also said that
this project is considered the first comprehensive restoration work for
the church since it was erected in the third century. Al-Bandak added
that the restoration of the roof is important because the church has a
problem of rainwater leakage from the roof and windows, affecting the
church's walls and mosaics. He also said that an appeal was sent to
three churches: The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Armenians Orthodox
Patriarchate and the Custody of the Holy Land, as these churches
have full authority over the Nativity Church. The state of Palestine
has contributed 2 million dollars and the Palestinian private sector
contributed 750,000 dollars. Other countries also offered funds for the
project, including Hungary, Russia, Greece, The Vatican and France. The
project is expected to cost around 17 million Euros. Afif Tweimeh,
Project Manager for the Restoration of Nativity Church, said that
this project was first proposed as an international bid to get the
best offers for the restoration. About the project, Tweimeh said,
"In the first phase, we will first prevent damage from the leakage
and then other parts of the church will be restored throughout the
project." He continued, "Some parts of the ceiling will be replaced and
other parts will be restored based on the design that was previously
outfitted by the Consultative Group, in cooperation with a partner
group in Italy." The restoration work is being done at night when the
church is empty, in an attempt to avoid disrupting visitors and for
the sake of their safety. Issa Morra, Structural Engineer, said that
the first phase of the project, restoration of the roof and windows,
is the most important. According to Morra, the scaffoldings were
brought from Italy, for the safety of the workers.
He said, "Our biggest challenge will be completing the work in one
year, while ensuring that the church can continue to receive pilgrims,
tourists and worshipers without any obstacles." He pointed out that
most of the material used for the restoration of the roof has been
imported from abroad, mostly from Italy, because they undergo certain
technical standards, and due to the fact that the wooden construction
materials are not available in Palestine. Italian Marccelo Piattini,
the Technical Manager of the project, said that the wood that was
used 500 years ago to construct the roof of the Nativity church was
brought from Italy, and, in his opinion, it is better to use the same
material from Italy for the roof's current restoration. Italians and
Palestinians are working together on this project, he added. This
project is an important step taken by the Palestinian Authority,
in collaboration with European countries, to preserve one of the
most historical and religious sites in the world. Restoration of the
church's windows and roof will be followed by work on the interior,
including the mosaics, columns, floor and walls. This project will
ensure that the Nativity Church will always have an open door for
worshipers, tourists and pilgrims from around the world.