The old city of Jerusalem
Written by Zvika Gasner Koheleth 12-December-2024 (Originally 14-April-2019 / 27-July-2020 / 13-December-2020/ 07-April-2021/ 08-September-2021) Photography by Angela Hechtfisch
The Old City of Jerusalem
Well, as we promised to ourselves, we returned to Jerusalem for our 2nd visit, and then returned again and again and again and more. As the old city of Jerusalem grew on us we felt much familiar and oriented in the ancient narrow streets. Entering from the Jaffa Gate to the David Tower, walking towards “Via Dolorosa” in the Christian quarter and passing the vivid Bazar market. The market is beautiful, filled with intoxicating smells of spices, sweets, and mints, and huge piles of vine leaves, pickles and dried fruit, and curling baskets.
The Old City has a history of over 4000 years and is divided into four quarters where each quarter has its unique atmosphere and observations, sights, and smells; They are The Jewish Quarter, the Armenian Quarter, the Christian Quarter, and The Muslim Quarter.
Jerusalem Church of Holy Sepulchre
The Christian Quarter, an important center for worldwide Christianity, is filled with centuries-old churches, including the renowned Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A trip to Jerusalem by pilgrims and non-orthodox tourists is complete with roaming around this Christian Quarter in the Old City, an unmatched density of history and wonder, whose stories and traditions affect the daily lives of billions of people worldwide.
It matters NOT if you are a pilgrim, a traditional Christian, or NONE of the above; the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is “the” one Church for Christianity. It is exciting to feel the spiritual vibes inside this Church, which is the most important Church for all Christian streams, irrespective of your faith, if any. According to Christian tradition, the Church nowadays contains the spot called “Golgatha,” Via Dolorosa’s 11th station, where Jesus was crucified (or “Calvary” in Latin). The 12th station includes the position where Jesus dies on the Cross. The “anointing stone” is where Christ was blamed and prepared for the barrel (13th station). The Tomb is the last station (14th) inside the Church, where Christ is buried and reborn.
People from all outskirts of the world come to pray in it. The location was distinguished 300 years after Jesus’s crucifixion by Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, and it is controlled separately by 4 Christian churches: The Armenian, the Greek Orthodox, the Roman-catholic, and the Ethiopian Church. The Church of Holy Sepulchre is magnetically built and reconstructed throughout the history of Conquers of Jerusalem. A strong smell of incense, crying voices, and prays are observed in all its inner chambers and secret corners. Entry to the Church is free BUT do take care it may be overcrowded most times. If you visit the Church on a special date, like we did on Saturday Easter” (the day commemorates the Harrowing of Hell while Jesus’ body lays his grave), expect to find a terrific queue while an amazing procession in its full glory takes place.
Christian Quarter & “Austrian Hospice” at Old Jerusalem
To break away from Jerusalem’s old city’s vibrant Muslim quarter, you can stop by the Austrian Hospice, which offers a serene island. The “Austrian Hospice” implies a comfortable, if spare, hostelry where pilgrims can rest their weary souls. It is located near Station III of the “Via Dolorosa” at the junction of El-Wad and Hajay Street. The Roman Catholic Church owns it. Stepping into this gated complex feels like discovering a treasure. This castle-like guesthouse first opened in 1863, and its gardens, archways, and stone walls ooze history. After ringing the intercom (sometimes) to enter the hospice gate, it is recommended to take a lunch break at the Viennese cafeteria inside, where they serve a must-have strudel pie and schnitzel with Mozart being played in the background inside the Caffe room(that gives a classic European puritan look) or outside in the garden.
The queue may last 15 minutes in rush hour, and they used to accept cash only until 2021, but nowadays, credit cards are accepted too. Thank G’d for this. Most guests have a stop at the rooftop, which features a spectacular view, observing the breathtaking view of the old city of Jerusalem and its surroundings, churches, and mosques tops. Entry fees are 5 shekels per visitor(Cash only).
“Church of the Redeemer”
In the “Muritan,” a former Christain order named “Hospitallers”, stands a hospital center, founded at the end of the 11th century by the 1st Crusaders “Jerusalem-kingdom” (and nowadays an eye-care center), is a Christain quarter complex of streets and shops that governs with the “Lutheran Church of the Redeemer,” that is the second Protestant Church in Jerusalem. Built between 1893 and 1898 and designed by Friedrich Adler. The German Keizer Wilhelm II and his wife, Augusta-Victoria, officially grandly opened it. The Church has the best panoramic view of the entire old city from within. However, this may require climbing the claustrophobic 200-round stairs Church bell tower. Visiting the Church tower costs 15 Shekels a person.
In the pictures above, the Jerusalem Old city Christian quarter, the “Muristan”, a complex of streets and shops, including the “Church of Redeemer”.
“Alexander Nevsky” Church
Alexander Nevsky Church, named after a 13th-century Russian prince, is a monastery and Church located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City, a few meters shy of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and opposite the German Church of the Savior. The Nevsky Church was builted in 1860, and inside just under the street level, there are finds of an Arch believed to be a gate (also known as the “Judgement Gate” )of the 2nd wall surrounding the Old City where Jesus led through to Gulgaltha, also known in Latin as the Calvary, where the Church of the holy sculpture stands nowadays since the middle of the 4th century A.D. However, it must mention that this contradicts the acceptable traditional Via Dolorosa 14 stages route. Next to the Gate is a large piece of the rock of Calvary, purchased when the Church stands, and above it, a crucifix has been fixed.
Around the walls are paintings of Gospel scenes and a series of Russian Orthodox saints icons above these. In the Chapel above and to the south of the restored staircase lies a gold-plated coffin that stands before the iconostasis, a symbolic coffin in which the shroud of Jesus is.
The monastery is open to visitors 7 days a week, usually until 13:00, BUT do make a pre-check. Entry fees are 5 Shekels per person. A decent dress code is a must.
The Jewish Quarter and The Wailing Wall
The Jewish Quarter’s narrow alleyways of unbelievably rich Bazar with vivid colors of memorabilia, clothes, and authentic Eastern foods, and it is open up as you reach the “Western Wall” Plaza and the wall itself. The “Dung” gate is the closest Jerusalem’s old city entry point to the “Western Wall”. The “Western Wall”, also called the “Wailing Wall” or in Hebrew the “Kotel”, is the holiest of all places for Judaism. The wall remains used to be the supportive wall surrounding the 2nd Temple-house of God built by Kings “Hordus (Herods) the Great”. The Temple was later to be burned and destroyed, like the entire city of Jerusalem, by the Romans in the 9th of “Av” (the Hebrew month of Av) 70 A.D. This wall is the last remains of once exited House-of-God and is a rolling stone for Jewish pilgrimage for the previous 2,000 years. Entry to the Temple-Mount (“Moria-mountain”), which hovers over the “wailing-Wall” from the top, is now occupied by the Muslim’s “Mosque of the Rock” (“Golden Dome Rock”). Non-muslims are allowed to enter Sunday till Thursday from 07:00-11:00 and 13:30-14:30 from the “Mugrabi Gate” (a wooden bridge) with the security escort of Israeli border police (“Mag’av”).
A great photo opportunity location of the “Wall” can be found from panoramic view “balconies” at the Jewish Quarter up and east. Please respect the local costume and do NOT photograph on Saturday.
At times of Jewish festivals, the wall is extremely crowded, and observing the tourists brushing alongside regular Ultra-Orthodox Jewish prayers is a fascinating view. If arriving at “Shushan Purim” or at “Priestly Blessing” (“Cohen blessing”) on Passover, the holy site will be very much crowded. Anybody can go up to the wall, although men and women have separate areas, and men should cover their heads (there are paper kippahs available), and women must wear modest clothing. It is customary to place a small paper note within the cracks of the wall asking for a wish directly from G’D. Entry is free.
Jerusalem Old City “David Tower”
The (old) city “inside the walls” has seven entry gates, although the busiest for tourists is the “Jaffa” Gate. Next to it is the “Tower of David” Museum, which provides the history of Jerusalem within the Old City Walls. The David Tower museum tour is highly recommended and lasts for about 1-2 hours. It spans through all stages in the circle of time of Jerusalem. The tour is self-made and carried with an information device spoken in 4 languages English / German / Russian / Spanish and gives a better understanding of the complicated history of the city. Adults entry fees are 35 Shekels per person and an extra 15 are for the information device. A view from the top of the roof of David tower towards the old city – is a MUST see. Also, there is a 30 minutes colorful light show of the “King David” history that takes place when the sun goes down.
“King David Tomb” & The Room of the “Last Supper”
Next to the old city “Zion” Gate (located on the “Zion” mount) there lyes “King David Tomb” facility. It is a praying site divided into men and women where the legend suggests this is King’s David burial tomb. King David was and still is the 1st and most celebrated King of the united Israeli dynasty. The youngest of all “Ishay” brothers, a sheep shepherd, with many biblical stories connected with him, such as the fight against the giant Goliath, the becoming of the king of Hebron, and (7 years later) King of (the united kingdom) Jerusalem to succeed King Saul to the Israel-Judea crown. Later his son, King Salomon, built the 1st Jewish House of G’d (Temple) in the city of Jerusalem on “Mount-Moria”. Surprisingly enough, this same location exactly would be interesting for Jewish people as well as for Christians because the 2nd floor of this structure locates Jesus’s “Last supper” hall. The only fact to separate both floors are 600 years in between King David and Jesus’s life span. By Christian belief, the “Last Supper” is the final meal that Jesus shared with his Apostles in Jerusalem before his capture, trial, and ultimately crucifixion. Once arriving believer’s prayers are heard silently. The “last supper” event traditionally is scheduled for the night of the Jewish evening of Pessachover, naming the “Seder”, where Jesus has gathered his 12 disciples for a meal around a table, claiming the wine served in a cup (later to be assumed as the “holy grail” )represent his blood and the bread is his flash, a belief that is still kept nowadays by all Christians streams. Later comes the betrayal by Judas turning him into the hands of the “Sanderin” court (Jewish priests) as the “King of Jews”.
In art history, there are more than several famous painting illustrations of this event. The 2 far more famous art pieces are frescos made, one by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1495 at the dining hall (the “refectory”) of the Convent of Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan, Italy, a painting which 80% of its colors had faded through time since Leonardo was experimenting with oil colors. A few years earlier in 1480, an Italian master Domenico Ghirlandaio, mostly known for being Michelangelo scholar, did a fresco in the refectory of the Convent of the Ognissanti in Florence. As Leonardo’s creation is considered to be one of the renaissance art milestones, Ghirlandaio’s creation looks much more closer in facts to the actual room look.
The Olive Mountain – the Jewish review
The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in the eastern part of the united Jerusalem, overviewing the Old City. Its name originated from the olives plantation once filled its slopes. The mount has been used as a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years, since Jewdism purifying laws do NOT allow to barry inside (the walls) of the (old) city, and holds approximately 150,000 graves. Also, the mount essentially becoming of top importance by Jewish tradition following chapter 37 of the Book of Ezekiel that prevail the “Dry Bones” prophecy of the rebirth after the death in the days after the end-of-times, and those who will rise first are the ones buried in the Olive mountain, facing and overviewing directly at the “Mercy Gate” of the Temple mount.
In the valley between the Olive Mountain and the Moria Mountain, also called the Temple Mountain, lyes 3 mausoleum monuments, the northern one estimated dating from the 10th century B.C named “Yad-Avshalom” after King David son, Avshalom, that tried to succeed him to the throne but his rebellion had failed while he was killed during the battle. The 2nd facility carved into stone is “Bney-Hazir”(The sons of pig) Jewish priest family tomb, and the last construction is a memorial called “Zechariah” crypt, naming after the Prophet Zechariah from the period of the return of Zion of the Babylonian diaspora, from 6th century B.C.
Olive mountain & Islam
According to Muslim tradition, in the days after the end of time, the Mount of Olives will have the scales of justice for weighing humans’ good and bad deeds. The thin sharp bridge above “Hell” will be directed between the Mount of Olives and the Temple Mount. The wicked will fall from it, and the righteous will pass through it in peace.
Olive Mountain and Christianity
The Mountain has several key events in the life of Jesus, and because of its association with Jesus and Virgin Mary, some significant pilgrimage location lays on the Olive mountain.
He later entered the city in his Masia declaration victorious procession, which nowadays manifested in the passage of the “Palm Sunday” parade towards the Lion Gate via the Via Dolorosa road inside Jerusalem’s old city wall. Some suggest that since the locals Jewish hailed him with Palm branches waving, it prove the idea that Jesus entered the city at the time of the Jewish “Sukot” festival when Palms are commonly used for their temporary housing(the “Suka”), and NOT like Christian gospels that date it to the days of “Pesach” (Easter).
In The Garden of Gadesmine Jesus lectured to his apostles the Bible and Prophete of Jerusalem’s destruction. Also, he spent the night after “Last-Supper” in the Garden and been betrayed by Judas with a kiss-of-death which turned him over into the handed of the Roman guards, in the Garden of Gadesmine. Tradition also implies that here he spent 40 days after his resurrection ending with ascending to heaven.
Therefore, few churches nearby had been built, such as the “Maria-Magdalena” Church, the “All Nation” Church, and the Greek-Orthodox Church which is guessed to be the Virgin-Maria grave.(Others beliefs imply her remains are at the German Catholic “Dormizion” Church next to the Zion Gate).
Where to eat & stay in Jerusalem
A good kick start for the day would be an authentic branch at “Lina Humus” at El-Haatika street in the Christian quarter NOT far from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a traditional dish of hummus plate. It can NOT get more fresh & local than this. 25 dollars for 2 people BUT you might queue a little for a table. Outside the city walls at Haneviem street just next to Damascus gate lyes “Humus Ackwarmi” is another option for the “best” Humus available (Sunday till Friday between 07:00 till 14:30). A more sophisticated meal would be at “Adom” at the old train station, or the “Workshop” at the same spot. These two are the best fine dining places in the city BUT come when an expensive bill, 400 shekels (100 Euro) for a table for 2. Also, it is MUST mentioned the wonderfully traditional Arab “Jafar” sweet next to the Damascus Gate, with one of the country’s best “Knafe”
As to stay in, Jerusalem has a vast variety of hotels, from the luxurious “Mamilla” overlooking the Old City Jaffa Gate, and the trendy “Villa Ba’Moshava”. Here is a list of Jerusalem hotels with deal prices for Christmas, Easter, and around the whole year.
Old City & Shopping
When it comes to shopping, the old city bazaar from Jaffa gate at the west towards north-east Damaskus gate is full of colorful attraction souvenirs such as ceramic bawls, shirts, wood artifacts, ancient jewelry, and more. Usually, the prices will be low as expected from a local market. South of the Jaffa gate and part of the Armenian quarter lyes the far most luxurious and hand-made china Ceramics poetry at the “Sandrouni Armenian Art Center” on st. James street. The prices here are far higher, BUT this is the real thing.
