Exploring the Old City, Jerusalem

The Citadel Hostel, tucked away just off David (street), wasn't easy to find .... but nothing is in the Old City. It is a maze and thoroughfares are all narrow and many lined with market stall outlets during daylight. You don't go anywhere without climbing up or down.

Looking back at it now, it seems perfectly appropriate that there was a negotiation on the cost of my stay. Wheeling and dealing apart I felt lucky I had any bed and a dormitory bed was good when my booking had been mysteriously cancelled! The place had a certain calm with its low arched ceilings and floor seating. All respected the privilege of staying in tge ancient city.

The entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is modest for a place that is the most sacred for Christians. Jesus's tomb is believed to be within together with the site of the crucifixion, the final stages of The Way of the Cross. Many churches and chapels line the Via Dolorosa as it runs from the Muslim to the Christian Quarter. The inside of the church reveals two major domes although an original bigger structure, built by the Christian Roman Emperor Constantine, was destroyed and replaced by the time of the Crusades. 

The Western Wall is most sacred for Jews and is believed to be the only remaining section of the original Temple build by King Solomon about three thousand years ago. The Wall forms a section of of the huge raised platform on which the Muslim Dome of the Rock stands. The rights of access to the Temple Mount being highly contentious as they have been throughout history.

Haram Al-Sharif or Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount was built by the Islamic dynasty to eclipse the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is a truly iconic building with its golden dome prominent on the skyline.

Much is packed into the walls of the Old City helping to make it an extraordinary city. A spiritual city for many faiths.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.