TRAVELING TO THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALM

TRAVELING TO THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM

The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into 4 quarters:

Pic. 4: The map of the Old City is in the Jerusalem [Center]

Jewish quarter in the South-East; the Muslim in the North-East; Christian quarter in the North-West; and Armenian quarter in the South-west.

Jewish Quarter: South-east of the Old City. First inhabited during the First Temple period [eight century B.C.E.], In the past the quarter was the center of Jewish life in Jerusalem. In War of Independence [1948 the quarter fell after a long and bitter siege and was almost completely destroyed. In the Six Day War [1967] it was liberated and since then has been reconstructed and partly repopulated.
Christian Quarter: Northwest of the Old City. In the quarter are located the most important Patriarchates in Jerusalem. It is provided with all necessary services and thus forms a city within the a city. Among the Patriarchates are the Greek Orthodox, the Catholic, the Coptic, the Ethiopian and the Franciscan Center. In the quarter are numerous churches, some of ancient times.
Muslim Quarter: In the northeast of the Old City.The most densely populated quarter, it occupies the northeastern section of the Old City and extends beyond the central area. Its boundaries are formed by the walls on the north and the east.
Armenian Quarter: In the southwest The quarter comprise churches, the Patriarchate and the House of Caiaphas. St. James, one of the earliest and most impressive churches in Jerusalem, is situated here. The Quarter is populated mainly by people of the Armenian faith. Southwestern section of the Old City and Mt. Zion.
The Old City is surrounded by a wall in which there are eight gates.
The Temple Mount, although geographically divided between the Jewish and the Muslim Quarters, is spiritually of Jewish heritage. Called Mount Moriah, or Haram el-Sharif—it is traditionally the place where the Lord God formed man of dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. [Genesis 2: 7] and where Abraham bound Isaac for sacrifice [Genesis 22: 9]

The CITY WALLS or WALL RAMPARTS, constructed of great blocks of grey stone, are basically those build by Turkish sultan Sulaiman between1536 and 1539, on the foundations of Roman Aelia Capitolina. Measuring two and a half miles in circumference and varying from 30 to 60 feet in height according to the formation of the land.

Pic. 5: The map of the Old City with the Sanctuary building. Note the West Wall is in the southeast or Jewish quarter; Dome of the Rock and El Aqsa are included in the southeast and northeast [the Jewish and Muslim Quarter]; The Holy Sepulchre is in the northwest or in the Christian Quarter.

The walls are pierced by four main gates. Jaffa Gate lies on the west; Damascus Gate on the north; the Lions Gate, also called St. Stephen’s on the east; and Zion Gate on the south.
Others are the New Gate and Herod’s Gate; the blocked Golden Gate on the east, and the Dung Gate, opening on to the Western Wall, on the south. Seven of the eight gates are open.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: They shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces “. [Psalm 122: 6-7]

The Sabbath commences on Friday at sunset and terminates 25 hours later. All government offices and public institutions are closed. There is no public transport in most town, but taxis work non-stop Offices, cinemas and theatres are also closed. However, you can always find gas stations and restaurants which will be pleased to serve you also on the Sabbath.
Shops are generally open between 8.30-13.00 and 16.00-19.00. On Friday and Holiday eves, they close at 14.00. In certain shops and especially in Arab markets, you can bargain.
Banks are open daily from 8.30-12.00 and 16.00-17.30. Wednesdays and Fridays 8.30-12.00.