Italian craftsmen have won the Palestinian Authority’s tender to repair the 4th-century church and Unesco heritage site, writes Matthew Kalman in Bethlehem, The Guardian,
Italian craftsmen have begun urgent repairs to the centuries-old roof of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, first constructed in the fourth century over the grotto where tradition says Jesus was born 2,000 years ago.
“Water leaks, earthquakes and incidents that happened here in Bethlehem had a negative impact on the whole structure and especially on the roof of the church,” said Ziad Bandak, head of the Palestinian committee overseeing the work.
“The leakage of the water affected the structure, the wood, the walls and the frescoes and mosaics inside.”
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