The Keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre refer to a set of two iron keys of medieval origin, used to secure and open the principal entrance of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem. The custodianship of these keys, along with the authority to open and close the Church’s main door, has been entrusted since circa 1187 CE—following the reconquest of Jerusalem by Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī (Saladin)—to two Muslim families: the Nuseibeh (Nusaybah) family, responsible for the physical act of opening and closing the door, and the Joudeh (Judeh al-Ḥusaynī) family, charged with safeguarding the keys themselves. This dual custodial arrangement, maintained through successive Islamic and later Ottoman administrations, endures as a historic institution of inter-religious mediation and continuity in the governance of one of Christianity’s most venerated sites.
The tradition of a Muslim family holding the key to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is centuries old, established in the aftermath of Saladin’s re-capture of Jerusalem in 1187 CE. Saladin, concerned about frequent disputes among Christian denominations over control of the Church, assigned the custodianship of the keys to a Muslim family to serve as a neutral arbiter.
Since then, the arrangement has remained in force, with two Muslim families playing distinct but cooperating roles: one retains custody of the key; the other carries out the daily ritual of unlocking/opening and locking/closing the doors. This system is embedded within what is known as the Status Quo, a set of practices and privileges governing inter-denominational relations over Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
Each morning a member of the family holding the key (the Joudeh/Al-Husseini family) brings it to the Church and hands it to the individual/duty doorkeeper (from the Nuseibeh family) who unlocks the large main door (via upper and lower locks). Each evening this process is reversed. On special days (Holy Week, Easter, etc.), elaborate opening ceremonies are held involving Christian representatives.
The key to the main entrance of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre The key at the top is the "newer" one and dates back some 500 years, and the key at the bottom is said to be 850 years old and broke after centuries of use.
circa 1187 CE
Two Muslim families are central to the tradition of the keys: the Joudeh (sometimes Joudeh al-Husseini or Judeh) family, and the Nuseibeh (also spelled Nusaybah, Nusseibeh, Nuseibeh) family. Their roles are distinct and have evolved slightly over centuries, but cooperation and mutual recognition is key.
The Joudeh family holds custody of the key physically. That is, one among them (presently Adeeb Joudeh Al-Husseini) has charge of retaining the key and conveying it each morning to the location where the Nuseibeh family member performs the unlocking ritual.
The Nuseibeh family holds responsibility for opening and closing the main gate: using the key delivered by the Joudeh, scaling a ladder for the upper lock, then unlocking the lower lock, entering, etc. In the evening they lock it again and return the key.
The hereditary nature of both responsibilities is well attested. Documentation including Ottoman-era decrees (firman), family contracts, and family records (photographs, legal deeds) support the continuity. The symbolism of neutrality is stressed by both families and by external observers: because Christian denominations (Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Coptic, Syriac, Ethiopian Orthodox) frequently contest rights and privileges in the Church, having Muslim custodians to manage access helps reduce direct inter-denominational conflict.
Modern Period
A member of the custodian families, unlocks and opens the gate early in the morning. Saladin entrusted the custody of the doors of the Holy Sepulchre to the leading and most renowned Shaikh Ghanim ben Ali ben Hussein al-Ansari al-Khazrajy.
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The Madain Project is an online archive of Abrahamic History and Archaeology.
Abrahamic History & Archaeology is the study of history and archaeology with respect to the three Abrahamic Faiths without considering the religious and theological aspects. The goal of Abrahamic History is to understand how and why the religious doctrines and behaviours have evlovled and changed over time. Searching for patterns in the evolution of significant cultural events such as the development of farming, the emergence of cities, or the collapse of major civilizations for clues of why and how these have influenced the three major Abrahamic religions.
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