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The Dome of the Rock mosque rises above Jerusalem from its perch on the
Temple Mount.
Photograph by Ed Kashi |
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At the center of Jerusalem, regarded by both Israelis and Palestinians as their capital, is something magically, tragically one of a kind. It’s the Old City, a walled enclave where Jews built two great temples, Christ died and rose, and Muhammad ascended to heaven. The Old City is the heart of Jerusalem, divided and subdivided, epicenter of a conflict stretching from the dawn of time to the end of days. The Old City is timeless but small, less than a square mile (2.6 square kilometers) in size. It isn’t a comforting smallness. It’s dense and intense, a black hole, a terrifying proximity that draws and holds you—a sense of Armageddon, judgment, resurrection, just around the corner.
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Orthodox Jews pray against the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old
City.
Photograph by Ed Kashi |
Writer P. F. Kluge explores the Old City to find out what a visitor—not a devotee—can find to like about this city venerated by the world’s faithful.
Read “City of the Ages” in the November/December 1999 issue of TRAVELER.
Dinner Site: Jerusalem
http://www.dinnersite.co.il/jerusalem
Search this site by cuisine, with specific options for Kosher restaurants and places with special scenery.
InIsrael: Jerusalem City Guide
http://www.inisrael.com/tour/jer/index.html
Find general information, maps, events, hotels, and a table of distances between cities.
Infotour: Official Israel Tourism and Recreation Website
http://www.infotour.co.il/TourismArea/2912.html
This all-encompassing, searchable site offers highlights of the city as well as information on dining, attractions, and accommodations.
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/home.asp
This government site includes facts about Israel, a time line, updates on current issues, and cultural information.
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
http://www.imj.org.il
Explore the largest museum in Israel—virtually.
Jerusalem
http://www.jerusalem.muni.il
This municipal site provides bits and pieces of of historical, demographic, and cultural information.
JerusalemCity.com
http://www.jerusalemcity.com/english/mainpage.shtml
Find tourist, religious, leisure, and service information.
The Jerusalem Post Newspaper
http://www.jpost.com/
Jerusalem’s main English-language newspaper provides daily tourism updates.
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