Restoration has begun on a shrine in Jerusalem, built in the early 19th century, over the site of the cave where Jesus is believed to have been buried.
Church officials had said in March of 2016 that work was to be carried out by a team of Greek specialists.
They said the project was expected to be completed in early 2017 and that the site would remain open to visitors in the meantime.
The shrine, several metres tall and wide and standing under the church’s dome, has for decades been held together by a metal frame.
Its marble slabs have weakened over the years, caused in part by daily visits from thousands of pilgrims and tourists.
Clerics from the three denominations that oversee the church — Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian — shook hands in a show of unity next to recently erected scaffolding.
Work is set to begin around June 1, 2016.