Jerusalem

Jerusalem is situated 800 metres above sea level dominated by hills and skyscrapers and surrounded by Herodian and Ottoman walls, Orthodox Jews bustle in black long coats co-mingling with priests in black robes and brown-clad monks, and Arab Muslims wearing kaffiyahs on their heads. Yet, a few yards outside the Jaffa Gate is the Mamila open mall with chic stores offering clothing, fine jewelry and gift items, as well as art galleries and restaurants.

Christian pilgrims come to follow the path of Jesus’ torturous walk along the Via Delarosa’s Stations of the Cross, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jesus’ burial place) or the Garden Tomb. Nor is Jerusalem’s Kotel, or Western wall (a remnant of the Temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE) the only meaningful Jerusalem experience for Jews.

The Hebrew University at Givat Ram in central Jerusalem offers lectures, and its Mount Scopes facility views of the city. The city is replete with museums, a biblical zoo, historical sites, as well as a Supreme Court building and the Knesset hill.

Malha Mall, just outside of the city is a place where Arab and Jewish Jerusalemites come together. And, in central Jerusalem on the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall one sees tourists, out-of-town Israelis and locals in the restaurants, falafel stands, ice cream parlours, gift stores and nut shops with pistachios, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, almonds. The Nahalat Shiv’a, another pedestrian promenade is nearby and offers tourists the best of Israeli artists in galleries, and a variety of foods in its restaurants. The balcony of the King David Hotel offers views of the Old City with its ramparts as well as the Golden dome of the Omar mosque and the al-Aksa mosque and the Tower of David.

The southwestern approach to the city through Ein Karem encounters the pine-tree forested hills of Jerusalem, its streams, and the Hadassah hospital, the Israel Museum with the Dead Sea scrolls, the Bible Museum, Yad Vashem, Mount Herzl, Jerusalem University on Mount Scopus.

When Israel took control of Jerusalem in 1967 the Western Wall's environment was long covered by houses, old buildings, junk, fences, and such like. The area was cleared to create a broad open plaza to accommodate worshipers/pilgrims/tourists/visitors who visit daily. The cultural aspect was changed from almost all Muslim, unimportant and a little Jewish, to all Jewish/ historical and very important. Facilities and provisions for large crowds (security, viewing spots, water) were installed around and near it.