12th March: Finally we make it up to Temple Mount

This was an efficient start to the day: alarm at 6.45 a.m., collect pita stuffed with nutella at 7, arrive at entrance to Temple Mount at 7.15. We were stunned to see that one busload (a church group from Minnesota) had beaten us to it. Bizarrely, one couple who started talking to us used to live in Cobham, ten minutes from my parents' house. Behind us the queue very quickly lengthened with more tour groups. 

When the gates opened at 7.30 we were ushered past the first group to a second X-ray scanner, and while the tour group waited until they were all through security we marched along the walkway up to the entrance to Temple Mount. We were the first of the tourists to arrive, but there were already a few Muslims strolling across the plaza for morning prayers.

Looking back along the walkway up to Temple Mount

Arriving at Temple Mount

The large open space was wonderfully quiet, and we made the most of the tranquility by wandering over to enjoy the beautiful golden dome and blue ceramic tiles of the Dome on the Rock. This mesmeric mosque, originally built in the 7th century AD, stands on a site of the utmost importance to Muslims, as the place from which Muhammed ascended to heaven, and to those of the Jewish faith, as the resting place of the Divine Presence and the centre of creation (gross simplification, of course). It has had the most tumultuous history of anywhere in this conflict-ravaged city. Here's another link to its story. Bear in mind that when it comes to Temple Mount few writers are entirely free of bias.

Approaching the Dome on the Rock

Clem with her head covered, although most people hadn't bothered

Looking north from the Dome

Dwarfed by the Dome

Close-up of the blue ceramic tiles

It took the tour groups a while to pass through security so we had plenty of time to enjoy the site by ourselves. Another young couple had also made it in early; they tried to sneak inside the Dome, but were sent packing by the guard: Muslims only. At least they were able to take the above photo for us. We then ambled across the plaza towards the Al-Aqsa mosque. The present mosque was built in 1035, although it has had many alterations and additions since then. During the Crusader occupation of Jerusalem the mosque was converted into a church and was used by the Knights Templar as their headquarters. Outside the mosque two groups of Muslim men were sat together in prayer groups. Each new arrival would fetch a plastic chair from inside the mosque and join his friends. Off to the right, well away from the men, Muslim women did the same. If the devotees were bothered by the increasing number of tourists, they did not show it. 

Al-Aqsa mosque, with a group of men praying off to the right

Eastern facade of the mosque

Women at prayer, well away from the men

The tour group plague descends upon the Mount

We concluded our visit with a quiet stroll around the outskirts of Temple Mount, where we found the remnants of marble columns strewn by the side of the path. On the northern side of the plaza, teaching was already underway in a small Islamic school. We left to the north, through one of the gates by which only Muslims can enter the complex. 

Another shot of the Dome on the Rock

Ancient olive trees and ruined columns

School on the northern edge of the plaza

View from the northern archway

Last look at the Dome as the sun came out (and with it the birds)

We turned right, past the supposed birthplace of the Virgin Mary, and headed out of the city walls through the Lion Gate, scene of fierce fighting at the end of the 1948 war that left the Jordanians in control of the old city. We could see for ourselves the scars of war on the gate and the walls. After walking around the northwestern walls of the city we arrived back at the convent just in time for check-out. 

Birthplace of the Virgin Mary, apparently 

Inside the birthplace of the Virgin Mary

Lion Gate

Two cups of tea later, we set off for a quick excursion to the new city. The tram took us straight to Mahaneh Yehuda, the main market in Jerusalem. We meandered down the road from stall to stall, picking up some olives heres, some cheese there, and finally some bread: the makings of a fine picnic. A little further down the hill we arrived at Sacher Park, where we stopped to enjoy our purchases.

At the other end of the park we found the Israel Museum, a huge and very modern complex that included our principal target, the Shrine of the Book. This was built to hold some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the millennia-old legacy of an ascetic Jewish cult, who called themselves "the Community". The Shrine itself was shaped like the jars in which the scrolls had been found, bright white to represent the "People of the Light", as they called themselves. Opposite was a black wall symbolising their enemies, the "People of the Dark".

Top of the Shrine of the Book

Black wall representing the "People of the Dark"

Nearby was a large model of what Jerusalem might have looked like at the end of the Second Temple period (around 60 AD), at which time the Community is thought to have left the city seeking a purer life by the Dead Sea. Inside the Shrine we found the Scrolls themselves, first discovered by Bedouin in 1947 (supposedly while looking for a lost goat). The most impressive was the complete Scroll on which the Book of Isaiah had been copied in fine script. Another highlight was the Aleppo Codex, a well-travelled 10th century AD copy of the Bible. It journeyed from Jerusalem to Egypt to Syria (hence the name), where it was damaged in riots following the UN resolution establishing the State of Israel but was eventually smuggled back to Jerusalem.

One of the jars in which the scrolls were found

Photo inside the shrine, before I was told off

We had a quick tour of the archaeology and fine art sections of the museum, then headed back past Mahaneh Yehuda market (picking up some more food, of course) and caught the tram back to the Damascus Gate. We collected our bags from the convent, took the tram back into the centre, and caught the bus to Tel Aviv. We arrived at the enormous central bus station in Tel Aviv at around 6 p.m., and spent the next fifteen minutes passing through security and wandering the immense warren looking for the bus to the centre of town. Eventually we found the bus and, thanks to a helpful local, managed to get off at the stop closest to our hostel (which was pretty basic considering the price, testament to Tel Aviv's extortionate rates). After a quick turnaround we headed out to meet up for dinner with Pauline, one of Clem's friends from the College of Europe, who had been living in Tel Aviv for the last few years.

11th March: Second day strolling the streets of Jerusalem

For our second day in Jerusalem we had listed the places we did not want to miss, but we soon realised that we would have to be flexible. We had woken up early to be at the entrance of Temple Mount just after the gate opens, at around 7:40 a.m. To our great surprise (and frustration), there was already an impressive queue composed mostly of tour groups when we arrived. We thus decided to come back (even) earlier the next day.

Kids on the way to school at around 7:40 a.m.

The queue to the entrance of Temple Mount at 7:45 a.m.

We thus continued on to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was Sunday and three Christian denominations were celebrating mass next to each other: the Orthodox in the main basilica, the Catholics on the side close to Christ's Edicule, and the Copts walking around pounding the ground with metal sticks. Of the three, we were only able to follow the Catholic mass, to which we are more accustomed. What we greatly enjoyed was that the Lectures were delivered in Arabic (a booklet had been distributed with translations in many languages). We stayed while introductory psalms were being sung in Latin and listened to one lecture before heading towards the actual Holy Sepulchre. The three religious services seemed to be co-existing peacefully, although John noticed that a priest was walking around with an instrument that measured sound, and we thought he might be checking that none of them were too loud.

Entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Roman Catholic mass

First Lecture in Arabic:

Greek Orthodox mass

Coptic ceremony beside the Edicule

Video of the Coptic ceremony:

Stone of the Annointment, where they put Jesus after his death

Main Basilica

Luckily there were no tour groups and we were able to enter the Edicule quite quickly. There was just time for me to recite a little prayer before the priest asked us to give way for other people to come. We did go back a few minutes later for a slightly more relaxed experience later as there was nobody in the queue.

Around the "Edicule"

Entrance of the Sepulchre proper

Guardian of the Sepulchre

People arriving by the "Edicule"

Under the main basilica, we followed the stairs to a little chapel of which elements dated from the 4th century AD, and to a little cave where Constantine the Great's mother allegedly found a piece of Christ's cross.

Oldest part of the Church: remains of a Byzantine church dating from the time of Constantine the Great (4th  c. AD)

Close-up of the 4th century AD mosaic

Before leaving the Church, we went up to the chapels built at the traditional site where Jesus was crucified and died on the cross (also the 11th and 12th stations of the Via Dolorosa). We had been there on the first day with the procession, but there were too many people to see them properly.

The Greek Orthodox altar standing over the Rock of Calvary, where the cross of Jesus is thought to have been erected

We then headed towards the Armenian quarter of Jerusalem, in search of St. James' Cathedral, crossing the Jewish quarter. We walked around for a little while before realising that it was actually within an Armenian Convent we had walked past a couple of times, and that it would only be open from 3 to 3:30 p.m. Keeping that in mind for later, we walked to the Tomb of David on Mount Zion. Two prayer rooms, one for women, and one for men, had been separated from each other, each having access to one half of the tomb. A young man (with a gun on his hip) was getting ready for his prayers when John arrived; thankfully he did not mind having his photo taken!

Ruins of the Roman cardo (the main road) in the Jewish quarter

Facade of St. James' Cathedral

Tomb of King David

On the way to the Mount of Olives, we glanced at the excavations by the foot of Temple Mount, which dated from the period of the First Temple (not less than 10th c. BC), and passed in front of the Pillar of Absalom. 

Ruins dating from the period of the First Temple (10th century BC)

Pillar of Absalom

Walking along the walls of the Old City towards the Mount of Olives

Reaching the top of the Mount of Olives was a challenge for our unfit legs, but the view was worth it (John had made sure that we arrived in the morning while the sun was behind us). We then walked to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations, where we could not stay long as a mass was being celebrated. We nevertheless had time to spot the mosaic cupola offered by France (many countries contributed mosaic cupolas), and the Rock of the Agony in front of the altar. We also paid a visit to the tomb of the Virgin Mary, which stood just by the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Old City of Jerusalem

Temple Mount from across the valley

Garden of Gethsemane

Church of All Nations

Interior of the Church

Rock of the Agony, in front of the Altar

Looks like this was the one offered by France

Grotto of Gethsemane, supposedly where Jesus was arrested

Entrance to the tomb of Mary

Tour buses lined up on the Mount of Olives

We had found a well-reputed restaurant for lunch in the Armenian quarter, but it was closed so we walked back to the Muslim quarter and stopped for lunch at the terrace of a small café near Damascus gate, from which we watched people go by under the attentive view of armed soldiers.

We then walked back towards the Jaffa gate and arrived at the museum of the Tower of David in early afternoon (so that the sun was behind us, shining nicely on the golden dome of Temple Mount). Phasael tower offered a wonderful view over the Old City. We managed to leave this great spot and visit the rest of the museum, which provided interesting information on the founding of Jerusalem and its conquest by many invaders, including the Romans, several Islamic dynasties, the Crusaders, and the Ottomans. Before leaving, we came back to the lookout at the top of the citadel for a last picture.

Phasael tower

View of the archeological gardens inside the citadel

View from the citadel of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (left) and Dome on the Rock (right)

Tower of David (which is actually an Islamic minaret)

Dome in the late afternoon sun

We were pretty tired after the visit of the museum, so returned to our room to get some rest and work on the blog. For dinner we had decided to treat ourselves and check out at the restaurants of the American Colony Hotel further down the Nablus Road. We chose to sit in the cellar, as there was a great atmosphere. We had an excellent dinner without compromising our budget as badly as expected.