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[[Image:Wikipedia:4975-20080122-0742UTC--mt-olives-marys-tomb.jpg|thumb|right|The interior of the Tomb in Gethsemane]]'''''Panagia Ierosolymitissa''''' (Gr. Most Holy Lady of Jerusalem) is a very popular [[icon]] of the [[Theotokos]] because it overlooks the empty tomb of the Most Holy Theotokos at the '''Sepulcher of the Mother of God''' in Gethsemane - —blessing the numerous pilgrims visiting the [[Holy Land]] of [[Jerusalem]]. The underground tomb of the Virgin Mary is situated in the Kidron Valley, on the foothills of the [[Mount of Olives]], where the Saviour often prayed with His disciples. It is attributed to the Theotokos since it is this location where it is believed that the [[Apostles]] gathered at this location and buried the most-pure body of the [[Theotokos|Mother of God]]. Her [[icon]] remains there as an endless spring of blessings for all the Christians, celebrated (or venerated) by the name '"Panagia Ierosolimitissa'."

Since 1757 AD, the entire site belongs to the Greek Orthodox [[Church of Jerusalem]]. It is shared with the Armenian Apostolic church Church and various other churches Churches have minor rights attributed to this site, such as the Coptic churchChurch, the Syriach church Syriac Church and others.

The authenticity of this site is challenged by sources outside of the churchChurch.

According to Holy Tradition this miraculous icon was painted through the revelation of the Holy [[Theotokos]] to a nun named Tatiana, according to sources in Gethsemane, perhaps around 1870. The story narrated is as follows:-{{citation}}

:In 1870, there lived a monastic iconographer called Tatiana. One night, a lady appeared to her in a vision saying, ''"Sister Tatiana, I have come so that you can paint me.".'' Tatiana replied, ''"Let it be , Blessed Sister ; however , I am an iconographer and not a painter.".'' The lady replied, ''"... well then, you should paint me using your iconographic style."''

:Sister Tatiana was furious with the boldness of this ladies lady's response and said, ''"I do not have any plank of wood to use."''. The lady then gave her the plank of wood the sister would need and told her to ''"paint."''.

:In obedience to her guest, the sister started her iconography. Sister Tatiana glanced at her guest, and she noticed the guests guest's appearance transfigure in front of her. The lady's mantle started to turn into gold and her face was glowing intensely. This change in the appearance of the lady, worried Tatiana but the lady spoke to her, saying: ''"O Blessed Tatiana, you are the only person, after the Apostles and the Evangelist Luke, to have this opportunity to write an icon of me again.".'' Sister Tatiana then realised that she was in the presence of Our our Holy Mother the [[Theotokos]]. In shock she awoke from her vision.

:She immediately went and informed her Mother Superior of the vision in detail. The Abbess abbess did not believe in the story but told her to go to sleep and the following day she could paint an [[icon]] of the [[Panagia]] with her blessing.

:Tatianna Tatiana returned to her cell and before entering she noticed a bright light shining through the door. She hastened to the Abbessabbess, once again, to bring her to her cell to witness this light and understand that she was not lying about the visions. Together they returned to TatiannaTatiana's cell. Inside, they could smell a beautiful and heavenly fragrance and the light was so bright that only then did they realise that the aroma and the light were coming from an icon of the the Virgin Mary.

:The mysterious and miraculous appearance of the icon had the sisters in shock but Our our Holy Mother the [[Theotokos]] appeared once more to Tatiana and said, "Now take me from here down to my home in Gethsemane of Jerusalem.". This is what the Abbess abbess and the Sister sister did.

In iconography, this is termed "acheiropoieto" (Gr. an image not painted by hands) and is now located exactly where the [[Panagia]] wanted it to be, in her '"home', " her final resting place at her holy tomb in Gethsemane. The name "Ierosolymitissa " has since been adopted since it means the Most Holy Lady from Jerusalem and is exteremally extremely miraculous.

In January of 2000, the icon was flown from Gethsemane to the Metropolitan area of Kitiou to celebrate 2000 years since the birth of Christ. This formal procession occured occurred in the afternoon at the Metropolitan church of the Sotiros.

==See alsoPascha of the Theotokos==*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/9engdormitionjer.html The Apodosis of the Dormition in Jerusalem 2006] :In honor of the '''"Pascha of the Theotokos'''" (another name for the [[Dormition]]), an ancient tradition has taken hold in Jerusalem of , repeating this the procession of the cross with the shroud of the Theotokos, which bears a two-sided icon with a silver ''oklad '' (covering frame). This Shroud shroud is kept throughout the year in Gethsemane directly across from the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. And only during the Dormition period does this miracle-working Shroud shroud pass into a special canopy at the Sepulcher of the Mother of God. Believers venerate it as they pass through the canopy on their knees .<ref>[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/eng2006/9engdormitionjer.*html The [[Apodosis of the Dormition|dormition of the TheotokosMost-Holy Mother of God in Jerusalem]</ref> ==Reference==<references /> ==Source==*[http://thecassockandcotta.blogspot.com/2006/11/panagia-ierosolimitissa.html Panagia Ierosolimitissa] article ==External link==*[[Wikipediaw:Mary's Tomb|Marys ''Mary's Tomb article'' on Wikipedia]] on Wikipedia