| Holy Trinity Cathedral | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Russian Orthodox Church |
| Year consecrated | 1872 |
| Location | |
| Location | Jerusalem |
 Interactive map of Holy Trinity Cathedral | |
| Coordinates | 31°46′54″N35°13′23″E / 31.78159°N 35.223005°E /31.78159; 35.223005 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Martin Eppinger [de] |
| Style | Byzantine Revival |
| Completed | 1872 |
TheHoly Trinity Cathedral (Russian: Свято-Троицкий собор,Hebrew: קתדרלת השילוש הקדוש) is a cathedral of theRussian Orthodox Church, located at the heart of the so-calledRussian Compound in central Jerusalem. The cathedral was built in 1860–1872 by aRussian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, when the Holy City was part of the Ottoman Empire.
TheMartin Eppinger [de] designed the church as acruciform building, abasilica with one central nave and two side aisles, and two lateral rooms in the shape of rounded apses completing the cross-shaped layout. The cathedral is built from white stone, with eightsteeples, each topped by a cross. The inside of the cathedral is covered withmurals and barely contains chairs. Most of the worshippers are praying to stand, as is customary in Orthodox churches.[1]
The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity was officially founded on 11 September 1860. In 1864 the outside was completed, but the construction was suspended due to budgetary issues. By 1872 the cathedral was luxuriously inaugurated, in a ceremony whereDuke Nicholas participated. Since then the cathedral has been used bypilgrims and locals.
The author of the project was German-Russian architect, Martin Eppinger. It was originally supposed to be consecrated as the church of St.Alexander Nevsky (the patron saint ofAlexander II), but finally it was decided to dedicate it as the Cathedral of theHoly Trinity.[2]
In 1895 to 1897, the cathedral was renovated. The process included repairing the roof and fixing the blind area.[clarification needed] Further, the glutinous paints[clarification needed] on the walls of the cathedral were scraped off, with three interiors painted white. Then the cathedral was decorated with sacred images.[clarification needed] Next to the altar an emergency exit was built.
In the period of theBritish Mandate, the Trinity Cathedral remained independent[clarification needed]. It was under the jurisdiction of theRussian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
During thefirst Arab-Israeli war the church was badly damaged. From 1948 it has been under the jurisdiction of theMoscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The ownership of the church is undetermined as it is part of anongoing legal and diplomatic controversy between Russia and Israel apparently centered on the arrest of anIsraeli citizen for drug smuggling.[3][4]
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