The history of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre throughout the centuries is one of the most fascinating chapters in our ecclesiastical history and one of the most heroic pages in the history of Hellenism.

With efforts, pains, toil, and personal sacrifices, the Holy Sepulchre monks have maintained the Greek dominion over the Holy Shrines and the Holy Tomb, historically and timelessly grounded in numerous imperial and sultanic documents and definitions.

The main danger that the Holy Sepulchre monks have faced since the 10th century and throughout history has been the claims and attempts to usurp their rights by representatives of other denominations. Latins, Armenians, as well as Syrians and Copts have at various times tried to infringe upon the established rights and reap related benefits.

This volume examines one of the most critical moments of this struggle when, in 1808, the Armenians set fire to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, hoping that since the Greek Holy Sepulchre monks did not have financial ease themselves, they would play a leading role in the reconstruction, thus claiming and gaining dominion over the most important Shrines of the monument.