This archive report was first published on 4 July 2019.
On July 4, 2019, Unesco announced that Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity had been removed from its list of endangered world heritage sites.
The church, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was born, was named a Unesco world heritage site in 2012 and placed on its endangered list the same year due to its poor condition.
Church and Palestinian officials have overseen high-quality work restoring the church's roof, exterior facades, mosaics, and doors.
A previous plan to dig a tunnel underneath Manger Square, in front of the church, was also abandoned.
The Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian churches share custody of the site located in the city of Bethlehem, which is today in the Israeli-occupied West Bank under Palestinian Authority control.
The church has undergone several transformations since its initial construction in the fourth century AD.
