How Turkiye’s Antiochian Christians are preserving Christmas traditions in their native Arabic tongue

BETHLEHEM: Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, is an uncommon place: An Arab metropolis, with a revered Christian Palestinian mayor, but residing underneath Israeli occupation. Like different city areas within the occupied West Financial institution, the town is surrounded by unlawful settlements and constricted by a excessive wall, continually underneath the watch of Israeli troopers.

Palestinians are particularly fearful this Christmas, with Benjamin Netanyahu set to return as Israeli prime minister on the helm of probably the most hardline Cupboard within the nation’s historical past.

However the settlements, the wall, the occupation and the inevitability of a brand new radical-right authorities in Israel are usually not stopping Bethlehem’s mayor, Hanna Hanania, from specializing in the constructive, at the least in the course of the Christmas holidays.

In an interview with Arab Information, he described the town as a supply of sunshine for the world and a spot that brings individuals collectively.

“After I turned on the lights of the Christmas tree in Bethlehem’s Manger Sq. on Dec. 3, I mentioned the sunshine of the tree will radiate to the world our need for peace,” he mentioned. “We selected the theme of the vacations that Christmas brings individuals collectively.”

Hanania, who was elected in March, can be officiating the town’s three annual Christmas occasions. Catholics and Protestants have fun Christmas Eve on Dec. 24, Orthodox and different japanese church buildings on Jan. 6, whereas Armenians wait till Jan. 18.

The town’s crown jewels are the 1,700-year-old Church of the Nativity and the historic Star Avenue, each of which have been acknowledged by UNESCO as protected World Heritage websites.

Sophia Vantunu, a 35-year-old vacationer from the US state of New Jersey, considers it a privilege to be celebrating Christmas within the holy metropolis of Bethlehem.

“Particularly for me, this was distinctive in some ways, together with the lighting of the tree and the festivities that occurred in and round Bethlehem,” she advised Arab Information.

George Menah, a Bethlehem tour information, says the Church of the Nativity — constructed on what’s believed to be the location of Christ’s delivery — and the town’s many different heritage and non secular websites are extraordinarily common with vacationers and pilgrims.

“The Church of the Nativity is without doubt one of the oldest church buildings on this planet and the town,” he advised Arab Information. “All through historical past, a number of holy treasures have been discovered there. Now, new discoveries are constantly being made, and the church remains to be being step by step explored for these artifacts.”

This 12 months marks the a hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the institution of Bethlehem as a municipality. Over the previous century and a half, its inhabitants has swelled — as have the variety of accommodations, which weren’t obtainable to Mary and Joseph that night time, now greater than 2,000 years in the past.

Nonetheless, Hanania says the expansion of the town’s inhabitants and its infrastructure has been restricted by the occupation.

“Israel constructed an eight-meter-high concrete wall deep inside our land, they usually refused to permit us to take pleasure in our regular progress by way of our metropolis plans because of the imposition of unlawful Jewish settlements within the Bethlehem space,” he advised Arab Information.  

For the individuals of Bethlehem, the ache of the occupation is palpable in additional methods than simply stymied financial progress. Initially of this month, Israeli forces killed one and injured six Palestinians in a refugee camp south of the town after clashes broke out following Israeli raids on the camp.

The unsure political scenario however, Palestinians in Bethlehem have embraced the inflow of vacationers. Bob Felton, a 50-year-old vacationer from Greece, says he’s thrilled to go to the holy metropolis following the lifting of pandemic journey restrictions.

“After being caught residence for over two years because of the coronavirus, we had been very excited to go to Bethlehem, a holy metropolis that represents Christmas and Christ,” Felton advised Arab Information. “We pray that the years to come back can be good and that we’ll really feel the spirit of Christmas on this holy metropolis.”

Nina Azar, a Palestinian tour information, avers that the town’s emergence from the pandemic has resulted in a flood of tourists. “Tourism has returned this 12 months, step by step and extra vigorously than in earlier years, with guests coming from numerous nations to feast within the holy metropolis,” she advised Arab Information. 

Echoing Azar’s optimism, Hanania says the tourism trade and customer numbers at the moment are again to pre-pandemic ranges. “The town’s accommodations, retailers, and eating places are once more bustling with guests who wish to see and contact the birthplace of Jesus. In November this 12 months alone, 123,000 visited Bethlehem,” he advised Arab Information.

Joseph Giacaman, a souvenir-shop proprietor in Manger Sq., concurs that tourism has picked up this 12 months.

“Now we have elevated in numbers in comparison with final 12 months, and the financial state has develop into higher within the metropolis, so we’re making more cash this 12 months as a result of demand has elevated, and provide is proscribed resulting from the truth that there are much more merchandise which are being shipped overseas,” he advised Arab Information. 

“We’re capable of get higher costs as a result of demand has elevated, and provide has been restricted as a result of many workplaces are delivery their merchandise overseas in a lot bigger quantities than common.”

Bethlehem is legendary for its olivewood handcrafts. Mohanad Ramadan, a carpenter, says his enterprise has seen a rise in exports. “Final 12 months, I couldn’t export merchandise overseas as a result of we didn’t have sturdy tourism, however this 12 months issues are a lot better,” he advised Arab Information.

Bethlehem’s spiritual websites have undergone vital restoration over the centuries and up to date many years.

Haytham Daiek, a tour information, mentioned that after the destruction of the Church of the Nativity in the course of the Samaritan rebellion of 529, Justinian I, the Japanese Roman emperor, ordered his envoy to rebuild it in its current type in 540.

Justinian raised the extent of the ground, lengthened the church, added a narthex and mosaics, and changed the octagonal apse with a extra spacious triapsal type.

Daiek, who additionally lectures at Bethlehem Bible School, says that between 1165 and 1169, the church was once more restored on account of the cooperation between Amaury I, the king of Jerusalem, and Byzantine Emperor Manuel Comnenus. It was throughout this era that the church was full of mosaics, on its partitions, within the nave and the transepts.

Nonetheless, neglect and vandalism took a toll in later years. “Within the thirteenth century, repairs had been permitted solely sometimes, and the deterioration of the church (was compounded) by looting,” mentioned Daiek.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s web site states that within the fifteenth century, underneath the patronage of the Custos of the Holy Land Father Giovanni Tomacelli da Napoli, and after the approval of the sultan and the Holy See, the church roof was restored.

The wooden for the undertaking was donated and despatched from the Republic of Venice, Edward IV of England donated the lead, whereas the Duke of Burgundy Philip the Good paid for the work.

The depredations of battle didn’t cease with the top of the Crusades. In early April 2002, Israeli forces besieged the Church of the Nativity whereas concentrating on suspected Palestinian militants who had taken shelter there.

The southern gate of the church was destroyed throughout Israeli shelling, a monk was wounded by Israeli snipers, and journalists making an attempt to cowl the siege had been stopped and even fired upon by Israeli forces.

By the point the siege ended weeks later, a number of Palestinians had been useless and dozens injured. (The Palestinians needed by the Israeli forces turned themselves in and had been exiled to Europe and the Gaza Strip).

This Christmas, Hanania is trying to the long run and taking delight within the restoration works underway within the basilica, which started in 2013 after Ziad Al-Bandak, president of the Palestinian Presidential Committee for the Restoration of the Church of the Nativity, awarded the contract to Piacenti SpA and Neighborhood Improvement Group.

The signing of the contract occurred within the presence of Rami Hamdallah, the previous Palestinian Nationwide Authority prime minister, and representatives of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Armenian Patriarchate, and the Custody of the Holy Land.

Hanania says he strongly believes within the theme of togetherness throughout this Christmas season. Nonetheless, “the truth that we’ve been residing for many years underneath occupation signifies that we can’t take pleasure in as a nation the togetherness that all of us need on holidays,” he advised Arab Information.

“Our individuals in Gaza are partially prevented from coming to Bethlehem. Our brothers and sisters in Jordan and different areas have an enormous downside getting visas and permissions (from) an occupying energy that applies exaggerated restrictions on entry.”

For the scenario to enhance, Hanania says, the hot button is human engagement. “We aren’t focused on vacationers and pilgrims visiting empty church buildings that seem like a museum,” he advised Arab Information.

“We would like them to have interaction with the residing stone and the Palestinians who’ve lived on this metropolis and have held the religion for the reason that delivery of Jesus.”