Jerusalem Things to Do Tips by antistar

Tight, narrow, claustrophobic streets soaked in ancient history make up the old city of Jerusalem. It's divided into four distinct quarters. The Christian and Armenian quarters are old and peaceful, the Jewish quarter was razed during fighting in the last war and is very modern, but the Muslim quarter is oldest of all, and is chaotic and lively.

In the Christian quarter you will find the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Dividing this quarter from the Muslim one is the ancient Cardo that runs down through to the Jewish quarter. In one corner, abutting both the Muslim and Jewish quarters, you will find Temple Mount, now home to the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa mosque, and the Western (Wailing) Wall of which is where the Jewish quarter begins.

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An unassuming entrance hides a massive, sprawling, awe inspiring church carved into the rock of Jerusalem, and built around the shrine which venerates the place where Jesus is believed to have been buried. The church is also meant to have been built on Golgotha, the hill upon which Jesus was crucified. As you can imagine, it is a very holy place, and the destination of many a pilgrimage.

The Church was founded by Saint Helena, who had been instructed to built churches on all the sites touched by the life of Jesus, including the Church of the Nativity that commerated his birth in Bethlehem. It survived for centuries, even under Muslim rule, until the "mad caliph" had it destroyed. This move caused angry reactions across Europe, and was fundamental in launching the Crusades.

In fact the first crusade was effectively a pilgrimage to the church, and each of the crusaders came here to worship. The Crusaders later set about rebuilding the church, and their chief, Godfrey of Bouillon, declared himself "Protector of the Holy Sepulcher". After Saladin the Church fell again under Muslim rule, but he eventually allowed pilgrims to visit the church.

Today it is home to Greek Orthodox, the Armenian Apostolic and Roman Catholic churches, and you will see clerics of all three denominations wandering about various parts of the church, conducting ceremonies. The Armenian monks were particularly fetching with their dark brown robes, and long black beards.

Being such a holy place, on any normal day you can expect it to be packed to the rafters with pilgrims and tourists. The Sepulcher itself will have queues a mile or more long. I visited on Christmas Eve, and because everyone had been scared off by recent events in the region, I almost had the place to myself. On Christmas Eve!

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Directions: Old City Jerusalem

Temple Mount is hugely important, and unsurprisingly in this part of the world it is also hugely controversial. For the Jews it is the place of their most holy Temple, the first and second one of which were destroyed two and a half thousand years ago, the second around the time of Jesus. The third Temple, should it be built, would mark the coming of the Jewish messiah. That's how important it is to Jewish people. It is so holy that some Jews will not step foot here for fear of treading on the holy of holies. The Western (or Wailing) Wall of Temple Mount is a famous site in itself.

The controversy is that it is also now home to two of the holiest sites in the Islamic empire: the Dome of the Rock, and the Al Aqsa mosque. The Dome of the Rock is one of the most outstanding pieces of religious architecture in the world, and a prominent golden domed symbol of the city. The Al-Aqsa mosque is its slightly greyer, but no less important, companion. According to Islamic beliefs, on the prophet Mohammad's last journey, he travelled from Mecca to the "furthest Mosque", the Al Aqsa, where he is believed to have ascended to heaven from the rock, which is now covered by the Dome of the Rock. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the third most holy site in all Islam.

The controversial nature of the site rears its ugly head from time to time, and in such a way as to cause problems for the visitor. There is strict security and from time to time access for non-Muslims can be barred, and even when access is allowed, there are limited time periods when you can get in. Even shortly after I left, 11 people were arrested in riots over an archeological dig at the site.

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Directions: Whatever the situation, it is an outstanding place of beauty and history, and not just a must visit for anyone in Jerusalem, it's simply a must visit for anyone, anywhere.

Free entrance via the Western Wall from 7-10 a.m. and 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Built in the 7th century, this golden domed mosque is an unmistakeable, and perhaps most famous, symbol of Jerusalem. It derives its name from the rock from which Muslims believe Mohammad ascended to heaven. This rock lies at the center of the circular mosque. In Judaism this same rock is where Abraham was to sacrifice his son, in God's test of him. It also sits upon the Temple Mount, which is where the Third and final Temple will be built, and beckon in the Jewish messiah.

The mosque is magnificent. Easily one of the greatest pieces of architecture in the world. It's most outstanding feature is its golden dome, which stretches 20 meters in diameter, and rises 35 meters above the Rock below. The dome glistens in a glorious golden glow that reflects the sunlight all over the city, and looked just perfect with a light covering of snow the second day I saw it. It is covered in gold foil, so expensive that when King Hussein of Jordan sold one of his houses in London to pay for its refurbishment, it cost US$8.2 million to pay for the 80kg of gold required.

The dome sits above a rock, the rock. This rock is known by many names, the Noble Rock, the Foundation Stone, the Rock, or the Pierced Stone. The piercing is a hole in the rock that leads to a cavern below, known as the Well of Souls. This cavern is considered by some to be the resting place of the Arc of the Covenant, and that is where it was located for the movie: Raiders of the Lost Ark.

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Directions: Inside Temple Mount which can be accessed via the Western Wall from 7-10 a.m. and 12:30-1:30 p.m (except on Fridays and Muslim Holidays).

Technically the Al-Aqsa Mosque (The Furthest Mosque) encompasses the entire area of Temple Mount, but most people think only of the smaller, greyer mosque that sits in the shadow of the Dome of the Rock. It is a religious site of great importance to Islam, the third holiest site in the Islamic world, and believed to be the mosque which Mohammad travelled to on his last night on earth before ascending to heaven.

Because the Al-Aqsa mosque, and the entire Noble Sanctuary that it stands in, was built upon what the Jews believe is the location of their Temple ruins, where a Third Temple will one day be built and herald in the coming of their Messiah. It has been the center of much controversy. Some Jewish people want to remove the mosque and rebuild the temple themselves. Michael Dennis Rohan, an evangelical Christian who also believed the building of the temple would herald in the second coming, tried to burn the mosque down in 1969.

When Ariel Sharon visited in 2000, it is said to have provoked the "Al-Aqsa Intifada", a violent uprising from the Palestinians which resulted in thousands dead on both sides. This intifada spawned the infamous Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, who were responsible for dozens of suicide bomb attacks in the last six years. After the Sharon's visit it was closed to non-Muslims for some time, but is now open again during limited hours.

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Directions: You can access the Noble Sanctuary, which contains the Al-Aqsa Mosque, from the walled walk by the Western (Wailing) Wall.

Another world famous aspect of the Temple Mount complex is the Western Wall, the nearest many Jews are allowed to pray to the Holy of Holies. It is believed that the Roman Emperor Titus left the wall standing as a reminder to the defeated Jews that he had conquered them. Jews also hold that the wall survived because of God's promise to them that some part of the Temple would always remain standing as testament to his bond with his people.

The Western Wall is exceptionally important in the Jewish religion. Jewish children from all over the world come here to have their Bar Mitzvahs (Bat Mitzvah for girls). Jews have prayed here for centuries, placing tightly folded pieces of paper into the cracks in the wall with their requests to God. Often the prayers are for the return of the Third Temple, and three times a day there are Jewish services where God is asked to rebuild the Temple. It is these, sometimes tearful and vocal, prayers that led to the Western Wall gaining the nickname Wailing Wall among non-Jewish visitors.

Today all are allowed to visit the Western Wall, Jews and non-Jews alike, although men and women must pray in separate sections. There is also serious security, both on entering and once inside, but that is understandable given the current situation and the highly sensitive nature of the location. Access is also free.

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Directions: In the Old City Jerusalem

The Citadel combines a museum, an archeological site, and some of the best views you will get of the Old City anywhere in Jerusalem. All together they make the Citadel an unmissable part of any visit.

The museum is fascinating, and charts the 4000 years of the cities existence. Being one of the oldest and most fought over cities on the planet, you can believe it is one of the best and most interesting city museums you will ever see. The exhibits are broken up into different eras, located in different parts of the citadel. One of the most curious exhibits was in section containing exhibits from the Islamic era.

Here an Islamic painting of Mohammad's last journey to the Al Aqsa mosque had had the face of Mohammad obscured by a sticker. I wasn't sure if this was done out of sensitivity to Muslim feelings, as it is generally considered an offense in Islam to display an image of Mohammad, or if it was done as some ironic statement, because this was an Islamic painting depicting Mohammad, and my visit was only some months after the protests against the Danish comics painting Mohammad.

The site has been built and rebuilt many times since its first construction, around the time of the First Temple between 1000 and 500BC. The Romans used it as a barracks, the Muslims constructed a fortress here which withstood the assaults of the Crusaders until their surrender, the place was destroyed and rebuilt by the Mamluks, before finally the Ottomans added decorations, including the minaret.

Finally the views from the top of the citadel are fantastic.

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Directions: Old City Jerusalem, to the right of Jaffa gate as you enter.
Website: http://www.towerofdavid.org.il/eng/

Jerusalem was the city of Jesus. His crucifixion is remembered at the Shrine in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and his journey through the streets of Jerusalem is believed to have happened along the Via Dolorosa (latin for road of suffering). The road is marked by 9 of the 14 Stations of the Cross. The Stations of the Cross are famous across Christendom, and are paintings that depict that last hours of Jesus.

Like the Church the road leads to, the Via Dolorosa is a place of pilgrimage for Christians the world over. Again, like the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the street was almost deserted over the entire Christmas period when I visited.

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Directions: Old City Jerusalem

The Cardo is a grand shopping street built by the Romans after they destroyed the city in 70AD. The street is so impressive it almost defines the Old City, separating the Christian from the Muslim quarters. It is so distinctive that you can easily make it out on old maps of the city from thousands of years ago, including the Byzantine mosaic maps of Madaba, all the way across the border in Jordan.

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A great, and often overlooked, introduction to the city is to walk along the Old City walls. From here you can look in, to the Old City, and out, to Arab East and Jewish New Jerusalem. It offers a quiet, and relaxing stroll, and gives you the chance to get your bearings before you enter the maze of crowded, hectic streets below. It also allows for some great views, especially of the Temple Mount from Damascus Gate.

It costs a few shekels to access the walls.

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Directions: You can reach the ramparts from Jaffa, Damascus, Lion's and Zion Gates. At Jaffa gate, turn straight left after entering. It's on the left of the tourist office, up some stairs.