[Paul Bunyan]

Israeli police have had to restore order at one of Christianity's holiest sites after a mass brawl broke out between monks in Jerusalem's Old City.



Fighting erupted between Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Christ's crucifixion.Two monks from each side were detained as dozens of worshippers traded kicks and punches at the shrine, said police.Trouble flared as Armenians prepared to mark the annual Feast of the Cross.



Tapestries toppled



Shocked pilgrims looked on as decorations and tapestries were toppled during Sunday's clash.Dressed in the vestments of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian denominations, rival monks threw punches and anything they could lay their hands on.The Greeks blamed the Armenians for not recognising their rights inside the holy site, while the Armenians said the Greeks had violated one of their traditional ceremonies.



An Armenian clergyman said the Greek clergy had tried to place one of their monks inside the Edicule, an ancient structure which is said to encase the tomb of Jesus."What is happening here is a violation of status quo. The Greeks have tried so many times to put their monk inside the tomb but they don't have the right to when the Armenians are celebrating the feast," he said.The Armenians had been preparing to commemorate the 4th Century discovery of the cross believed to have been used to crucify Jesus.