Christians gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Palm Sunday - the first day of Holy week and the Sunday before Easter.
Palm Sunday marks Jesus'' entrance into Jerusalem by donkey on the Sunday before his crucifixion.
His followers laid palm branches in his path.
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Catholic Church''s most solemn period - the week that ends with Easter next Sunday.
Processions of priests and bishops made their way from the Mount of Olives along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The 800-year-old church is one of the most important Christian sites and is believed to be the site of Jesus'' crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.
Thousands of tourists and pilgrims who usually attend the event have been kept away this year by the continuing political crisis in Israel and Palestinian territories.