WHS#67

Jerusalem is the holiest city in the world. It's crazy how all of these different religions happen to have some of their holiest sites, among other impressive sites of great historic significance, in this single square kilometer. Indeed, this single walled square kilometer is so full of things to see that it feels endless to explore, and it kind of is. I spent a whole day exploring the old city in May 2018, and I felt like I hadn't even scratched the surface. Starting from and ending at the famous Jaffa Gate, I went in a loop through the Armenian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, and finally, the Christian Quarter. Each quarter has something interesting to offer, though I didn't necessarily experience what I might've expected from their names. At the end of the day, the experience of Jerusalem leaves feet tired, minds blown, and souls filled.

The first striking thing about Jerusalem is easily the walls. Yes, the walls included on its official WHS title. It's an impressive continuous stretch of centuries-old walls. They look very Norman castle-inspired with their little rectangular indentations on top and curved arch portals, but Islamic patterns and Arabic inscriptions can be observed too, owing to Jerusalem's history under various cultural influences, especially that of the Ottomans. The buildings within the city are also quite Ottoman, and they look quite similar to other old cities in the region, like Safed, Jaffa, Acre, and Nablus. Don't be fooled, though, the various layers of the city reveal themselves as you explore deeper.

The Armenian Quarter seems to be the least touristed and least crowded quarter by a long shot. The streets were nearly empty. I was here to see the Armenian Orthodox Cathedral of St. James, which was built in the 12th century. Its entrance from the street was, much like the Coptic churches in Cairo, quite nonchalant and lead to the courtyard that fronts the cathedral. I couldn't enter to explore, since the priests were doing some kind of ceremony, but I took enough of a peak to see that the church was very interestingly embellished. I guess that's a sign of how unique the Armenian culture is that I can't really describe it well, so hopefully the picture will do. The Armenian alphabet, too, was a really interesting script to see all around the courtyard. Otherwise, the quarter looks much like the other areas of Jerusalem, but its lack of crowds makes it feel more like being back in the past.

The Jewish Quarter is where some of the most important historic sites are located. Many Roman floor remains can be found, including the Cardo. They're generally found below ground level, so one can view them from above, but the Cardo can actually be walked on by the many tourists that visit. In a crowded urban environment, though, it definitely doesn't have the same draw as other Roman ruins I saw in Israel. The most famous monument, of course, is none other than the Western Wall. This is the last piece of the great Temple of Jerusalem, the holiest site of Judaism, and with an impressive age of over 2000 years. It's a great experience to get up close to it and see the many letters in the cracks of the wall and try to imagine how long these stones have held on. All around are Jews in worship, and it's basically an open-air synagogue. Above the Western Wall is the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque, which are unfortunately somewhat inaccessible for us non-Muslims, with the ramps apparently being open only early in the morning. Underneath this area are the tunnels, where underground stretches of the wall can be explored. In short, the Jewish Quarter is probably the historic center of the old city, and it's many sites are must-sees when exploring Jerusalem.

The Muslim Quarter is the most crowded quarter by locals. And where the people live, the food is made. I tried some of the fresh bread on sale in the markets, as well as an "Armenian Pizza" for lunch, and I'd definitely recommend that you try the many culinary offerings of the quarter. Aside from this, I was actually in the quarter to start the Via Dolorosa. The relatively modern churches of Condemnation, Flagellation, and Ecce Homo lie in the middle of the old Islamic buildings all around. I follow this route towards the Christian Quarter and my most important destination, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Muslim Quarter is overall a characteristically lively area, but Islamic sites aren't necessarily the highlights here.

The Christian Quarter is quite touristy, and most stalls seem to be selling souvenirs close to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Speaking of which, I finally arrive at the church itself, and it's absolute madness. 6 denominations share the church, the Roman Catholics, Greek, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, and Syriac Orthodox Churches. This means that the church is awkwardly divided between all of them, which leads to a mix and mess of styles. Right beside the entrance is an Ethiopian Orthodox chapel. Entering, the first thing to see is the Anointing Stone in the middle of a big hall. Golgotha, the rock where Jesus died, is now split between Catholic and Greek Orthodox chapels, with the actual spot where the cross supposedly stood being in the Orthodox side. The layout means that pilgrims line up in the painted Gothic-style Catholic chapel only to emerge in the Greek Orthodox chapel to kneel down and touch the rock. These chapels, by the way, are up a staircase. Down from the ground floor, I encountered an Armenian chapel, its altar looking like a mini Armenian monastery facade. Further down was the oldest part of the church, built by St. Helena in the 4th century at the base of Golgotha. The most important part of the church, though, is back up at the ground level. The sepulchre itself is where Jesus was laid to rest, or at least the 6 denominations believe. The Protestants seem to prefer the Garden Tomb as the real location of his death and burial, but historic evidences do seem to point to the site of the church as the real location. There was a long line around the sepulchre, but I joined it nevertheless, and if you're religious, it's an amazing spiritual experience to touch the stones that witnessed the holiest moment in Christianity. Otherwise, it's still interesting to observe the Coptic chapel attached to the opposite side of the sepulchre. The interesting thing is that because of the conflicts between the different denominations, the key to the church is actually kept by a Muslim family. It's a great show of the cultural contrasts of this quarter and city as a whole, both between and within religions.

Jerusalem's sheer density in sites of great historic and religious significance is unparalleled in the world. It's rightfully one of the most important historic cities in the world. Its great monuments like the Dome of the Rock, Western Wall, and Church of the Holy Sepulchre are, likewise, world-class unique sites. The ensemble of its walls and gates are also exceptional showcases of a walled city int his part of the world. Overall, Jerusalem is one of the top cities and WHS to see and experience in the world, whether you're devoutly religious, historically inclined, or just about any kind of person. It offers so many once-in-a-lifetime experiences that it can be overwhelming, but that's what we're all here for, for sites like these to overcome our senses. That's exactly what Jerusalem does.