site.btaBulgarian Embassy in Doha Hosts Holy Sepulchre Key Custodian

A meeting with Church of the Holy Sepulchre key custodian Adeeb Joudeh al-Husseini will be held at the Bulgarian Embassy in Doha later on Wednesday, the diplomatic mission said on its social media profile.

The Bulgarian Embassy in Doha invited guests to a discussion and cocktail reception with Joudeh al-Husseini, a representative of the family entrusted with safeguarding the key to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The responsibility passes from one generation to the next in the Muslim Joudeh al-Husseini family, a tradition spanning more than eight centuries, the diplomatic mission said.

Historical tradition traces the arrangement to the time of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, also known as Saladin, and its purpose is to ensure neutral custody of the key and access to one of Christianity’s most important holy sites, the post said.

The post described the centuries-old tradition as a symbol of mutual respect, trust and peaceful coexistence among Jerusalem’s religious communities.

During the meeting, Joudeh al-Husseini will present his family’s history and its custodial responsibility, as well as its relations with the Jerusalem Patriarchate and the Patriarchate’s clergy.