There are not many places I would classify as a must-see during lifetime – but the old city of Jerusalem is definitly one of those. The place is bordered by the old city walls from the 16th century CE and you can really imagine how it would be to stand in front of it as a crusader. The streets are narrow, in some parts mostly covered and you’ll ask yourself how people can live here.
The ancient city is divided into a Muslim, a Jewish, a Christian and an Armenian quarter. You can discover all parts of it, but during Ramadan the Muslim quarter might be closed in the evening. Restrictions also apply to the Temple Mount in the eastern part. You can enter the city through different gates, the Damascus gate being the most important one (because it is close to the bus terminus; a lot of merchants surround the area). The gates to the east in the direction of Jordan and the valley of kings are nowadays bricked.
Within the walls you can find important places for the three world religions: the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the Christians, the Western Wall for the Jewish and the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Temple Mount for the Muslims. Jerusalem is the third most important place for Islam following Mecca and Medina.
If you exit through Herods gate in the north you can reach the Rockefeller museum of archeology. Leaving the place through St. Stephens gate in the east leads to the Tomb of Virgin Mary and the Mount of Olives with the garden Gethsemane and the Church of Ascension. Through Zion gate in the south you get to Mount Zion, the grave of King David, the place of the last supper and the grave of Oskar Schindler.
Loading map...
