I t is 3am and Artak Tadevosyan is wafting incense through the corridors of Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was crucified and buried.

“Walking in the Lord’s footsteps, really, you have feelings that cannot be explained,” says the 26-year-old Armenian Orthodox cleric. “We don’t see it as stone, all these are holy places for us.”

The Holy Sepulchre lies in Jerusalem’s Old City. A church was first built there in the fourth century under Constantine the Great, the Roman emperor who converted to Christianity.

Today the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches share custody of the building, and tensions sometimes run high over who controls what.

Other denominations also hold services there, in languages including Latin, Arabic, Aramaic, Amharic and Ge’ez.

Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations Show all 18 1 /18 Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations Archbishop Abune Enbakom, of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem (centre) takes part in the Holy Fire ceremony at the Ethiopian section of the Church Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations His Beatitude Theophilos III, the patriarch of Jerusalem, performs the ‘Washing of the Feet’ ceremony outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations A nun sits on a bench inside the church Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers hold candles during the Holy Fire ceremony Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations Crosses carved in the wall by pilgrims are seen beside stairs leading to the Crypt of St Helena Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations His Excellency Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, apostolic administrator of the Latin patriarchate of Jerusalem, in the Latin patriarchate in Jerusalem’s Old City Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations Members of the Orthodox Christian clergy disperse incense as they stand inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations Artak Tadevosyan, 26, an Armenian Orthodox deacon, disperses incense Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations A nun walks into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations His Eminence Archbishop Dr Anba Antonius, Coptic Orthodox metropolitan of Jerusalem and the near east, poses for a photograph at the Coptic Orthodox patriarchate Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations An Orthodox Christian priest holds a ladder near the entrance door of the church Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations His Eminence Archbishop Mar Swerios Malki Murad, archbishop patriarchal vicar of the Holy Land and Jordan, at the Syrian Orthodox patriarchate Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations An engraved plaque in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations His Beatitude Theophilos III, the patriarch of Jerusalem, at the Greek Orthodox patriarchate in Jerusalem’s Old City Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations Members of the Orthodox Christian clergy talk in front of the Edicule, which houses what is traditionally believed to be the tomb of Jesus Christ Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations His Beatitude Theophilos III leads the Washing of the Feet ceremony outside the church Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations His Grace Abune Enbakom, archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, poses at the Ethiopian Orthodox patriarchate Reuters Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre: A church of many denominations His Eminence Archbishop Anba Antonios, Coptic Orthodox metropolitan of Jerusalem and the near east, participates in a Palm Sunday procession Reuters

At night the building falls silent. Muslim families have long held the door key, because of the tensions between the Christian clergy.

In the Greek Orthodox patriarchate nearby, His Beatitude Theophilos III, the patriarch of Jerusalem, says he feels deep reverence for the church.

“For the Christian world the Holy Sepulchre is the heart of Jerusalem and the world,” he says during preparations for the Orthodox Christmas.

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“Why? Because this particular place, which is the rock of the crucifixion and the rock of the tomb, or the burial site of Jesus Christ, has been watered, and therefore blessed, by the blood of the righteous one.”