Photo of the Day: Easter Traditions and Sacred Christian Monuments and Objects

Photos by MUSLIM HARJI

As hundreds of millions of Christians around the world celebrate Easter Sunday on April 4, 2021, in unusual circumstances again this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, we present these images captured by Muslim Harji during his travels around the world. The photographs shown on this page are part of a broader presentation of Harji’s highly acclaimed photo essay on Sacred Spaces in world faiths that appeared on this website (Simergphotos.com) in November 2016.

Voice of America reports that Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, officiated the Way of the Cross procession in a nearly empty Saint Peter’s Square Friday, April 2, 2021 ahead of the Easter holiday Sunday, for the second consecutive year. Strict Easter lockdown is being observed in Italy, as the entire country is considered a high-risk zone. The Pope is expected to deliver his “Urbi et Orbi” or “To the City and the World” message on Easter Sunday, the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar.

Crucifixion procession Jerusalem
This route through the Old City of Jerusalem is revered by Christian pilgrims as the route taken by Jesus as he was led to his crucifixion. It is the setting of regular processions. Photo: © Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ, Canada.

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Muslim Harji Sacred Spaces Christian Simergphotos Stone of Anointing
The Stone of Unction, also known as the Stone of Anointing, is just inside the entrance of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and is believed to be the place where the body of Jesus Christ was laid down after being removed from the crucifix and prepared for burial. Photo: © Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ, Canada.

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Muslim Harji Sacred Spaces Christian Simergphotos
A Coptic Christian priest at the Lake Tana Churches and Monasteries in Bahar Dar, Ethiopia, holding for display an early manuscript. The Lake Tana area was important from the 14th through 16th centuries in view of its role in maintaining the Christian faith against contemporary pressures, and the rise of the Solomonic Dynasty which patronized the building of churches and monasteries. Many of the earliest manuscripts and precious examples of ecclesiastical art as well as royal objects were safely stored in their treasuries. Photo: © Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ, Canada.

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Muslim Harji Sacred Spaces Christian Simergphotos
Sacred objects of ecclesiastical art at the Lake Tana Churches. Photo: © Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ, Canada.

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Muslim Harji Sacred Spaces Christian Simergphotos Monastery
St. George’s Monastery, Jerusalem, where Christian monks maintain their ancient way of life, began in the fourth century with a few monks who sought the desert experiences of the prophets. Photo: © Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ, Canada.

Date posted: April 4, 2021.

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Category : Sacred Spaces, Travel Essays, World Religions
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