Holy Trinity Cathedral, Jerusalem
The Holy Trinity Cathedral (Russian: Свято-Троицкий собор, Hebrew: קתדרלת השילוש הקדוש) is a cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem. The cathedral was built in 1860–1872 by a Russian Orthodox institute that operated in Jerusalem, under the Ottoman Empire government.
| Holy Trinity Cathedral | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Russian Orthodox Church |
| Year consecrated | 1872 |
| Location | |
| Location | Jerusalem |
| Geographic coordinates | 31.78159°N 35.223005°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Martin Eppinger |
| Style | Byzantine Revival |
| Completed | 1872 |
The cathedral structure
The structure was designed by the architect Martin Eppinger, as a basilica with two aisles, and rounded chambers in the side, which makes the cathedral cross-shaped. The cathedral is built from white stone, with eight steeples, with a cross on their top. The inside of the cathedral is covered with holy murals, and barely contains chairs. Most of the worshippers are praying standing, as is customary in Orthodox churches.[1]
History
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 where Duke Nicholas participated. Since then the cathedral has been used by pilgrims and locals. The author of the project was a Russian architect Martin Eppinger. It was originally supposed to be consecrated as the church of St. Alexander Nevsky (the patron saint of Alexander II), but finally it was decided to dedicate it as the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.[2]
In 1895 to 1897, the cathedral was renovated. The process included repairing the roof and fixing the blind area. Further, the glutinous paints on the walls of the Cathedral were scraped off, with three interiors painted white, and then the cathedral was decorated with sacred images. Next to the altar an indoor emergency exit was built.
In the period of the British Mandate, the Trinity Cathedral remained independent and was in the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
During the first Arab-Israeli war, the temple was badly damaged. From 1948 it has been under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The inside of the cathedral
The outside of the cathedral