Everything Everywhere Daily · Friday, September 11, 2026
The current arrangement of rights and possessions at Jerusalem's Christian holy places was formally frozen by an 1852 decree from Sultan Abdul Mejid I. This action was a response to escalating geopolitical confrontations between France, championing Catholic claims, and Russia, supporting Orthodox claims, and aimed to defuse conflict.
“To defuse the conflict, Sultan Abdul Mejid I issued a decree in 1852 freezing the existing possessions and worship rights at the Christian holy places.”
“The principle was essentially that things would remain as they currently were.”
“Historian Marlin Oudin described the 1852 decree as freezing the rights of worship and possessions of the Christian communities and recognizing the Orthodox possession that had developed since 1757.”