On October 27, 2026, a significant commemorative event took place at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, attended by the President of the Republic, Konstantinos Tasoulas, and His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece. The event, titled «Opening the Holy Sepulchre in the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem: 10 Years Later. The Holy Sepulchre is Alive and Communicates with All Humanity,» celebrated a decade since the restoration of this sacred site.
The event was held under the auspices of the President of the Republic and co-organized by the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki, the Ministry of Interior (Macedonia and Thrace Sector), the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, the National Technical University of Athens, and the Technical Chamber of Greece, among others. This collaboration was part of the EULOGON program by the Ministry of Development, executed by the General Secretariat for Public Investments and Development.
In a deeply moving atmosphere, speakers highlighted the universal message of the monument, symbolizing the victory of life over death. A particularly poignant moment was the address by Antonia Moropoulou, Emeritus Professor at the National Technical University of Athens and head of the interdisciplinary team that undertook the historic restoration project. She shared her unique experiential insights from the restoration process.
The restoration of the Holy Edicule was a complex endeavor, completed by «Greek hands» in less than nine months, adhering to budget constraints while ensuring that the worship services of the three communities were not interrupted. During the restoration, the team investigated underground moisture channels using advanced methods, delivering not only the restoration project but also a study on the reinforcement of the Rotunda’s floor. They also installed sensors for the continuous monitoring of the monument. A significant discovery was a cross from 1809 found in the cornerstone, a remnant of a previous restoration by Kalfa Komninos from Mytilene. In a symbolic act, the team reinstalled a cross on the dome of the Holy Edicule, which had been missing since 1244.
Moropoulou emphasized the profound experience of opening the Holy Sepulchre on October 26, 2016, stating, «We opened the Holy Sepulchre to protect it, but ultimately, it protected us.» She recounted how the revelation of the burial bed captivated billions of viewers through National Geographic. The experience transcended scientific boundaries; the energy released during the investigation disrupted their measuring instruments, requiring a pause to allow the energy to stabilize. The team also discovered that the upper slab of the burial bed had shifted by 80 centimeters, a modification dating back to the time of Emperor Constantine, intended to separate the level of veneration from the earlier Roman temple of Hadrian.
In closing, Moropoulou highlighted the global impact of the event, noting that the broadcast reached three billion viewers, underscoring the universal need for hope and the message of resurrection that transcends the Christian world.
