Jerusalem: An Illustrated Visit

I feel like I ought to post something about my five days and six nights in Jerusalem. After all, few cities in the world can rival Jerusalem for its history and significance to so many people. That being said, I'm having a really hard time coming up with anything remotely interesting or specific to say, therefore this is going to be an illustrated blog entry.

Apparently, when a Muslim returns home after performing the Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia), it's tradition to decorate the doorway of his/her home to mark the occasion. Some do it with posters, others do it with spray paint. NB: I'm pretty sure that Russian little old ladies are not part of the traditional decor....this one just jumped into my shot at the last minute.

 

While waiting in line to access the Holy Mount, several bar mitzvah processions passed by, en route to the Western Wall, complete with drums, dancing and singing; you're looking at two different boys becoming men at the same time, one under each umbrella. It was all very impressive.

 

I'll try to keep the postcard shots down to a minimum, but the Dome of the Rock is one damn spectacular building, and I can't resist posting at least one shot of it in all of it's splendour. I was informed that in the 1990s, the late King Hussein of Jordan sold his very posh London apartment and donated he proceeds to financing the gold leaf finish on the dome.

 

A small detail from the interior of an Ethiopian chapel at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There's no story behind this one, I just like colourful things. 

 

Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in front of what is believed to be the site of the crucifixion of Christ 

 

On the Temple Mount, with dozens of non-Muslim tourists running around in the one hour afternoon visitation period, two girls just shootin' the breeze by the Dome of the Rock, one of the holiest places in Islam. It's definitely an upgrade from the neighbourhood watering hole.

Something that I wish I had gotten a photo of, but didn't, is the 'security perimeter/wall/fence' in the West Bank. I wound up making the trip to Bethlehem today, and for me the most remarkable sight was not the Church of the Nativity or the Milk Grotto, but the visual of the fence, as we entered the West Bank. The portion I saw was covered in graffiti, artwork, and political messages; it was very reminiscent of the Berlin Wall, and pretty heartbreaking. The Northern Irish guy I was with told me that it brought back memories of growing up in Belfast. Anyhow, as we were only a few meters away from the security checkpoint, I figured it wouldn't be wise to start snapping any photos, though in hindsight, I doubt that the Israeli soldiers would have really cared either way. This poster is from some street in Bethlehem, and more or less expresses the same message as the ones written on the wall.