Restoration work has officially begun on the dome of the Chapel of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, a historic shrine located within the atrium of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City.

The project was inaugurated with the blessing of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem following a liturgical service at the Patriarchal Monastery Church of Saints Constantine and Helen on the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of Palestine.

According to the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Patriarch Theophilos conducted a service for the blessing of water and formally blessed the start of conservation and restoration efforts at the chapel. The structure stands near the Chapel of St. James, the Brother of the Lord, at the base of the church’s main bell tower.

The Chapel of the Myrrh-Bearing Women is considered one of the oldest surviving structures within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre complex. It forms part of a group of three interconnected chapels on the western side of the church’s atrium, which originally served as a baptistery dating back to the era of Emperor Constantine the Great in the fourth century.

According to Christian tradition, the chapel commemorates the women who came to Christ’s tomb after the Crucifixion and discovered it empty, becoming the first witnesses to the Resurrection.

The shrine suffered extensive damage during the devastating 1927 earthquake that struck the region. The chapel’s dome was destroyed, leaving only the altar intact. Since then, efforts to fully restore the structure to its historic appearance have remained unresolved.

Church officials said the new restoration project aims to preserve an important monument of Christian heritage in the Holy Land. The work is expected to safeguard both the architectural integrity of the chapel and the religious traditions associated with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Widely regarded as one of Christianity’s holiest sites, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre operates under a complex system of shared administration. Its chapels, courtyards, stairways, and other structures are divided among several Christian denominations under the Status Quo arrangement established in the 18th century to prevent interdenominational disputes.

The restoration of the Chapel of the Myrrh-Bearing Women marks a significant step in preserving one of the church’s oldest and most historically significant sacred spaces for future generations.