THEN: Jerusalem embodies history and religion—make that religions—like no other city in the world. At Jerusalem's heart is the Old City, the cultural crossroads where these pictures were taken. A covered bazaar not far from the Damascus Gate reveals a Jerusalem at once exotic and, it would seem, peaceful. The year was 1927, though the Ottoman Empire garb and timeless tableau of commerce might suggest a moment far more ancient. The steps already were worn smooth with the footfalls of centuries.

Photograph: American Colony Photographers/National Geographic Image Collection

NOW: "Today, a walk through the Old City can be unsettling, especially if there is fighting in the air," says photographer Ed Kashi. "When I made this picture, things were thankfully peaceful." Kashi was staying at a hotel nearby and walked along this alleyway several times a day, always meeting with the hard sell of merchants. The morning he took this picture, Kashi was moving slowly up the steps when he noticed that the sun was backlighting a star hanging from a shop. He didn't take the picture right away. "I stopped and waited for someone to pass by, to lend a piece of humanity to the image."

Photograph by Ed Kashi