Thousands of pilgrims have celebrated Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, which marks the beginning of Passion Week.

|PIC1|Pilgrims from all over the globe gathered in Jerusalem's old city, carrying olive and palm branches into the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher, believed to be the place of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

Palm Sunday marks Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, fulfilling the Old Testament prophesies of the Messiah. Pilgrims each year follow the traditions of that first Palm Sunday when people threw palm branches on the road to welcome Him.

The turnout for the celebrations were surprisingly good despite recent violence in the Gaza Strip, and a Palestinian attack on a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem 10 days ago that killed eight young Israeli students.

Throughout the coming week Christians worldwide will mark the Holy Week, which will lead up to Good Friday when pilgrims will visit the Via Dolorosa, following Jesus' path to the 14 Stations of the Cross.

The Passion Week culminates on Easter Sunday when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.