First published: 11/09/19.

Gablabcebu 1

Jerusalem

Jerusalem (On tentative list)

Jerusalem by GabLabCebu

Jerusalem is one of the greatest, most historic, and holiest cities in the world. Literally more than half of the world subscribes to a religion that considers Jerusalem a holy place, if not the holiest city of all. Now, the World Heritage Site of Jerusalem consists of the historic center within the walls, but just beyond the south side of them, through the eponymous gate, lies Mount Zion. This hill is a symbol of the identity of the state of Israel, and it has countless mentions in various Abrahamic religious texts as it refers to Jerusalem itself. There is much more than symbolic significance in this little hill, however. I visited Mount Zion in May 2018 and it really is home to very important religious sites. The Dormition Abbey was our first stop, which was finished in 1910 with a circular body and a crypt. Over at the Cenacle, the Room of the Last Supper or the Upper Room is a Crusader-era church turned mosque, and shows legacies of both religions with the Gothic vaulting and a mihrab. The ground floor below houses King David's Tomb, one of the holiest Jewish sites. The hill is just as much a demonstration of the relevance of religion in this city as the walled city itself, and together, they make up a great landscape of holiness and abode of world religions.

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