"Real estate staircase" in Jerusalem - a symbol of disagreements in Christianity

On the wall of one of the most significant churches in Christianity there is an old wooden staircase. Usually known as the "immovable staircase", it is attached to the right window of the second tier of the facade of the chief of the Merry Coffin in the old town in Jerusalem and remains at the same place for hundreds of years, since competing church confessions cannot agree that with do it.

No one knows how she fell there or who attached her to the window of the church, although, presumably, it was used to repair. The first mentions of it are dated to the beginning of the 1700s (the staircase is depicted on the engraving, which Bustodia of the Holy Land dates 1728), and the staircase can be seen at the first well-known photos of the church (1850s), although since then the staircase is not used.

The decree, published in the early 1850s by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, said that the temple of the Holy Sepulcher should be divided into equal parts between the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic churches.

Three other church confessions (Coptic Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox Church) also received the right to use some parts of the building. This was considered a compromise for all denominations applying for the construction of the Church.

The decree became known as the "CVO Status Agreement". Then the staircase became "immovable", because, moving it, any of the denominations would violate the agreement "not to move, not to repair and not change anything in the temple without the consent of all six denominations."

Since it was not agreed upon by hundreds of years, which church should own the staircase and, accordingly, finally remove it from the window, this object has become a symbol of split within the Christianity itself.

The church of the Holy Sepulcher is sacred for all Christians. It is believed that he is on the place where, according to the Holy Scriptures, he was crucified, buried, and then Risen Jesus Christ.

When the Roman Emperor Konstantin I appealed to Christianity in the IV century, he, as they say, sent his mother, Holy Elena, in search of the burial of Jesus in Jerusalem. It is believed that Elena found the burial place, as well as the "True Cross", on which Jesus was crucified.

Then Konstantin ordered to build a church at this place, replacing the existing pagan temple. As a result, the temple of the coffin of the Lord was built in about 335.

Pilgrims began to go to the temple, starting from the IV century. Today, it is still visited by whole crowds of pilgrims and tourists.

Jerusalem, Israel: the temple of the coffin of the Lord. "Real estate staircase" remains in the same position since 1854, and no priest from six Christian denominations has the right to move it without the consent of all others

The Temple of the Mernel Coffin faced a variety of changes since the initial construction. It was burned with Persians in 614, and then restored in about 10 years.

The Islamic Caliph destroyed it in the XI century, but the temple was later restored by the crusaders.

Despite frequent repairs and alterations, since the beginning of the 1800s, the church retains the current appearance.

Despite the fact that since the "Status-Quo Status Agreement" between Christian denominations established relative truce, sometimes disputes arise, leading to violence. For example, in 2002, the Coptic Christian monk slightly moved his chair into the space of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. After graduation, eleven people were hospitalized.

In 2008, real fisting battles between Armenian and Greek monks began in the church, and it came to the point that the police special forces had to be called.

In fact, although the staircase is officially considered by the real estate, it actually took it several times from the "coupled" under the window. Twice in the 20th century, someone rearranged a staircase (perhaps as a prank), but soon the "symbol of the Christian split" found the police and returned to its initial place.

The immovable staircase is a wooden staircase located near the window on the second tier of the facade of the chill temple of the Lord

Also in 2009, all six denominations agreed to temporarily move the stairs to place the scaffolding for repair in the church.

Photography of the XIX century crowd of believers near the chill temple of the Lord. The building of the temple is located in the Christian quarter of the Old Town of Jerusalem and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Even dad took part in the controversy. Referring to the split of the Christian church to Orthodox and Roman Catholic in 1054, Pavel VI (1963 - 1978) published a papal decree as to ensure that the ladder is not moving to the reunification of the Orthodox and Catholic Church.

Due to tensions among Christian denominations, the keys to the temple of the coffin of the Lord historically was entrusted to keep a Muslim family. Keys continue to be transmitted to the family from generation to generation.

As a sign of neutrality, every morning a member of this family opens the doors to the church to enter all denominations.

This "status agreement on status" and now remains in force for this historic building. It seems that the immovable staircase will stay in its place for a long time.