Jerusalem Old City

sroka87 (62)in #photography • 7 years ago (edited)

One of the oldest & holiest city's in the world, visiting Jerusalem is an awe-inspiring experience.

Each street is infused with history; you walk in the footsteps of prophets, king & warriors.

Church bells, the muezzin's call, or the ram's horn echo through the alleyways and bounce of the ancient stone walls, while incense & exotic spices are caught on the warm breeze. It's a sensory and spiritual experience unlike any other.

The Dome of the Rock - one of the holiest sites for Muslims & also Jews, draws focus with its shining golden dome

The Tower of David is an ancient citadel in West Jerusalem built in Mamluk & Ottoman periods. It was built on the site of an earlier Muslim fort, that was constantly being destroyed by Crusader knights.**

Byzantine Christians believed the citadel was the location of King David's palace - "built with turrets, whereon there hang a thousand shields, all the armor of the mighty men." (Song of Songs, 4:4)

Dusk over the rooftops of the Old city

The Old City is a walled area divided into the Muslim Quarter, Christian Quarter, Armenian Quarter and Jewish Quarter. Each part has a distinct & interesting vibe.

On the walls of the Old City looking out over East Jerusalem & the West Bank in the distance. In 1967 Israel took over East Jerusalem, and the tensions are still tangible today. For all its beauty, Jerusalem is also a city constantly on-edge.

Some Palestinian girls take a break from their game to pose

The Damascus Gate - one of the main entrances to city since the early 10th century

Traders shout and hustle to sell their wares beneath the gate

The Ethiopian Patriarchate - a monastery built on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Ethiopian christians have been present in the city since the conversion of Ethiopia to Christianity in the 4th century