Let there be light: Eastern Orthodox Christians light candles to represent the resurrection of Christ during midnight mass to celebrate Easter
- Thousands of Eastern Orthodox Christians packed into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
- The pilgrims were marking the Eastern Orthodox Easter in the Old City which is calculated on a different calendar
- During the ceremony, clerics enter the small chamber where it is claimed Jesus Christ was buried after Crucifixion
- Following this weekend's celebration, the Church is going to undergo a major refurbishment before next year
Thousands of Christians have gathered in Jerusalem for an ancient fire ceremony that celebrates Jesus' resurrection.
In a ritual dating back at least 1,200 years, they crowded on Saturday into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christian tradition holds that Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.
During the annual ceremony, top Eastern Orthodox clerics enter the Edicule, the small chamber marking the site of Jesus' tomb.
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An Ethiopian boy holds candles during the Holy Fire ceremony at the Ethiopian section of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
Macedonian Orthodox Christians hold candles as they take part in midnight Easter services at the Saint Jovan Bigorski monastery, in Mavrovo, some 145 km west from the capital Skopje
Christian Orthodox worshippers hold up candles lit from the 'Holy Fire' as thousands gather in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City
A child holds a candle next to eggs and 'Kulich cakes', a traditional Russian Easter bread, placed for blessing during an Orthodox Easter service in Almaty, Kazakhstan
The majority of the Christians in the Holy Land belong to the Orthodox faith but traditionally do not play a major part in the procession
Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers dance during the Holy Fire ceremony at the Ethiopian section of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City
Patriarch Kirill (left) of Moscow and All Russia church and Vladimir Yakunin, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation of Apostle Andrew the First Called, light candles with Holy Fire delivered from Jerusalem during an Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
Christian Orthodox worshippers hold up candles lit from the 'Holy Fire' as thousands gather in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right), Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (left) and his spouse Svetlana (centre) attend the Orthodox Easter holiday service in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral, Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill attend Orthodox Easter celebrations
A member of the clergy throws petals to welcome the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Metropolitan Theophilos (not pictured) as they walk towards the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to take part in the Easter Sunday mass procession
An Ethiopian Orthodox worshipper holds candles during the Holy Fire ceremony at the Ethiopian section of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City
An Orthodox Christian worshipper on the roof of the Tomb of Christ as the miracle of the Holy Fire occurs in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel
Russian Orthodox nuns hold candles lit from the 'Holy Fire' as thousands gather in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
A Russian nun holds a candle with the Holy Fire from Jerusalem as she takes part in the Orthodox Easter holiday service in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral, Russia
Thousands of Eastern Orthodox Christians visited the Tomb of Christ, pictured, as part of the miracle of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem
Pilgrims made their way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to light their candles, who pass on the flame to those outside in the street
The ceremony, which dates more than 1,200 years, marks the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the spot where he was buried
They then emerge to reveal candles said to be miraculously lit with 'holy fire' as a message to the faithful from heaven. The details of the flame's source are a closely guarded secret.
Roman Catholics and Protestants marked Easter in March, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Easter this week using the older Julian calendar.
The pilgrims, some carrying crosses and others praying, retraced the 14 Stations of the Cross and walked to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus Christ is believed to be buried.
Hundreds of Israeli security forces were deployed inside the walled Old City, and around the church, which is in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
Their presence was to regulate the flow of worshippers through the narrow streets rather than to calm fears of potential violence, despite weeks of renewed tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
The Eastern Orthodox Easter is almost a month after that celebrated by Roman Catholics and Protestants due to a different calendar
Israeli security forces launched a major operation to ensure the safety of the pilgrims due to major tensions within Jerusalem
Some of the pilgrims in Jerusalem at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher had travelled to the Old City from Ethiopia
Crowds of pilgrims queued to enter the Holy Sepulchre, many scribbling prayers on pieces of paper which they planned to recite inside the church.
One pilgrim, Otyrba Ilojna, 36, of Abkhazia in Georgia said: 'We pray for the whole community. The Georgian Church does not give us our independence. All here are praying for it.'
Dragan Ilic, 35, who had travelled from Switzerland and was among a group of around 50 Serbians, kept his prayer secret.
But, like all the others, he said the visit was incredibly important to him.
Thousands of pilgrims came from Egypt, which is the only Arab country besides Jordan to have diplomatic relations with Israel even if the ties are often strained.
Christina Salama said: 'This pilgrimage is not an obligation. But it is the dream of all (Coptic Christian) Egyptians.'
The majority of the Christians in the Holy Land belong to the Orthodox faith but traditionally do not play a major part in the procession.
Thousands of pilgrims, such as these from Ethiopia travelled to Jerusalem's old city despite security tensions in the area
Pilgrims inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre passed the flame to those outside who were celebrating the Orthodox Easter
The historic tomb will undergo a major restoration once this weekend's Orthodox Easter celebrations have ended
The tomb where Jesus is said to have been buried before his resurrection in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre is to undergo major restoration. The work is due to start in the coming weeks after the Eastern church ends its Easter celebrations.
The restoration, entrusted to a Greek team, is expected to be completed in early 2017 and the site will remain open to visitors in the meantime.
The shrine, several metres tall and wide standing under the church's dome, has for decades been held together by a metal frame.
Its marble slabs have been weakened over the years in part by daily visits by thousands of pilgrims and tourists.
Broken or fragile parts will be replaced while marble slabs that can be preserved will be cleaned, and the structure supporting them will be reinforced.
The work is to be funded by the three main Christian denominations of the Holy Sepulchre -- Greek Orthodox, Franciscans and Armenians -- as well as public and private contributions.
The shrine was built in the early 19th century over the site of the cave where Jesus is believed to have been buried.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's government has agreed a new truce with pro-Russian insurgents which is due to continue past the Orthodox Easter.
A peace deal co-signed by France and Germany in February 2015 in the Belarussian capital Minsk was meant to end the fighting by providing rebel-held regions limited autonomy within a unified Ukraine.
But the two-year war has now killed more than 9,300 people as the sides trade blame for violating the truce and not taking the political steps required to resolving one of Europe's deadliest crises since the 1990s Balkans wars.
Many of the pilgrims retraced the 14 Stations of The Cross following the route marking the final few hours of Jesus
Eastern Orthodox Christians believe the flame spreads from the tomb across the globe and represents resurrection power
The Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and the whole of Moldova, left, holds the Holy Fire from Jerusalem at a ceremony in Moldova
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Happy Easter!
by Maggie 349