Jerusalem

I don't care who you are or what your beliefs are - Jerusalem should be on everyone's bucket list.  I don't think there is anyplace else on the planet where you can see as many different people co-mingling in one tiny space or as many amazing and meaningful sights that individually are worth their own trip.

Without intentionally doing so, we booked our trip on the rare year when Easter and Passover coincide.  Although Jerusalem was super crowded and opening hours were limited, it was an absolutely incredibly awesome time to be there.  I had no idea that there were this many different religious costumes.  It was surreal enough to feel like being on a movie set.  

 

 

 
The sites in Jerusalem are just awesome as well.  Old Jerusalem is a walled city that is only .35 square mile.  The wall has 11 gates of which 7 are open today.  The old city is divided into 4 quarters: Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian.  Each is distinctly different from the others.  Within this tiny area are housed some of the most famous, interesting and holy sites in the world.

The Cardo Maximus is the excavated Roman "main street" of Jerusalem.  This used to be a large boulevard lined with shops and market stalls.  There are parts of the original road and columns here.

  

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre houses the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and burial (Golgotha, Calvary).  It is managed in a very carefully shared way between many different Christian sects: Eastern Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Roman Catholics, Ethiopian Orthodox, Coptics and Syriac Orthodox all share some responsibilities of the site.  It's such a careful arrangement that one Coptic monk who moved his chair from its agreed site into the shade caused violence to break out.  They won't even agree to remove a ladder that has stood on the facade so it has to be replaced whenever it rots away (see under the right window):

Close by sits the famous Western Wall otherwise known as the Wailing Wall which is perhaps the holiest site in Judaism.  Jews from around the world come to pray here and leave notes in the wall's cracks.  The wall is all that remains of the destroyed Temple compound.

And sitting right above the Wall sits the Temple Mount where the Jewish Temple used to sit but now sits the Dome of the Rock - one of the holiest sites of Islam to mark the spot where Mohammed ascended to heaven.  Jews believe this rock is also the site of the "Holy of Holies" and where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Today the plaza is open to all people but only Muslims are allowed within the Dome of the Rock.  

It wasn't unusual to see people who were overcome by being so close to such sacred sites.  

 

Apart from its religious landmarks, Old Jerusalem itself is beautiful with winding streets and lots of stalls selling everything from wooden crosses to Jewish kippa to head scarves. 

 

There are plenty of soldiers around - barely out of their teens and packing machine guns.  Luckily when we were there they were relaxed and happy to pose for photos with pretty girls.

    

Across the Kidron Valley is the Mount of Olives, site of the oldest Jewish Cemetery in the world and many churches marking events like the Ascension, Mary's tomb, etc.

     

With only 3 days we saw a ton but I think even after a month we would still be discovering new treasures in this amazing city.  Between the people and the sites it must be one of the most fascinating places on earth.