Jerusalem is teeming with pilgrims and tourists this week as the traditions of the three faiths that consider it a holy city converge.
A record 40,000 will be attending some 180 ceremonies, services and masses of the various Christian denominations celebrating Easter. Tens of thousands of them are already jamming the narrow alleys of the Old City, adding to the burdens of Jerusalem police whose task is to ensure their safety.
Catholic Easter celebrations begin with a colorful Good Friday parade along Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross.
It will coincide with Moslem noon prayers on the Temple Mount, Friday being the Moslem Sabbath, and with last-minute preparations by Jews for the Passover seder Friday night.
The unusually large number of pilgrims this year is the result of a series of visits by the heads of various churches, a Religious Affairs Ministry official said.
They include the head of the Patriarchate of Moscow, the archbishop of Canterbury, the Episcopal bishop of Canada and five Roman Catholic cardinals expected within the next few days.
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