Project to restore Christ’s tomb kickstarted by $1.3m donation

The spot where Christians believe Jesus was buried, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City, is being restored for the first time in more than 200 years. The World Monuments Fund launched the project—due for completion in 2017—with a lead gift of $1.3m from the Romanian designer Ioana Maria (Mica) Ertegun. The three Christian denominations of the church—the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian Orthodox—are each contributing towards the $3.3m renovations, and King Abdullah of Jordan has also made a personal donation. The work to the edicule—the structure surrounding the tomb—has already begun.