Middle East - Anthony Ham [221]
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A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS IN JERUSALEM
Local Jet van Wijk shared her favourite places to visit while in the ancient city of Jerusalem:
Aimlessly meandering the narrow streets of the Old City until you find those steps leading up to the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Click here). Nothing beats entering the church via the Ethiopian village and chapel on top, then just hanging in the church and observing the various pilgrims and religious rituals.
Refreshments at the American Colony hotel (Click here). OK, so the service may not always be up to par and the menu might seem a tad overpriced. The ambiance, however, makes up for everything. Keep an eye out for well-known Palestinian negotiators, European diplomats, foreign correspondents and Mordechai Vanunu, the convicted atomic-secrets spy, who, now that he has done his time but is barred from leaving the country, frequents the place.
A walk through the Mahane Yehuda Market (Click here). Just wander around and make sure you bring your camera, and don’t skip the Iraqi section, where old men often sit outside playing backgammon.
The Jewish neighbourhood of Mea She’arim (Click here). It’s a world of its own. Dress for the occasion if you’re a woman, though – or just drive through, though better not during Shabbat.
Taking a drive out of Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea (Click here). The landscape is absolutely spectacular, even though recent road works have destroyed some its charm. Keep an eye out for shepherds herding their flocks, Bedouin tents and camels. It’s best in the early morning or late afternoon, when the mountain rifts shift to shades of red and pink.
Jet van Wijk works as a journalist in Jerusalem.
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ARMENIAN QUARTER & MT ZION
Though it might strike you as strange that the Old City has a dedicated Armenian Quarter, Armenia was in fact the first nation to embrace Christianity, in AD 303. Quite hidden and less touristed than the rest of the Old City, the Armenian Quarter seems to exist as it has for centuries, its 1500-strong population insular and traditional, its gates locked daily at dusk.
A worthwhile visit is the Armenian St James’ Cathedral (Map; Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate Rd; 6.30-7.15am & 2.45-3.25pm Mon-Fri, 2.30-3pm Sat to Sun), which has a sensuous aura of ritual and mystery, though you’ll have to be nippy since it’s only open for services (visit on a Sunday to see its nine hooded Armenian priests).
From the Armenian Quarter, Zion Gate leads out to Mt Zion, site of the Coenaculum (Cenacle, Dining Room; Map; Mt Zion; 8am-5pm Sun-Thu, 8am-1pm Fri), traditionally held to be the site of the Last Supper. At the back of the same building is the traditional site of King David’s Tomb (Map; 671 9767; Mt Zion; 8am-6pm Sun-Thu, 8am-2pm Fri), and around the corner, the Church & Monastery of the Dormition (Map; 8am-noon, 2-6pm), where Jesus’ mother Mary fell into ‘eternal sleep’.
Brush up on your Spielberg before your visit, then take a wander to the small cemetery containing the unelaborate grave of Oskar Schindler (Map; Christian Cemetery, Mt Zion; 8am-1.30pm Mon- Fri) just south of King David’s Tomb; it’s a bit tricky to find, so ask the caretaker to point the way or keep your eyes peeled for a small sign.
Mount of Olives, Mount Scopus & the Kidron Valley
To the east of the Old City, outside Lion’s Gate, the land drops away into the lovely Kidron Valley, then rises again up the slopes of the Mount of Olives. For Christians, this hillside holds special significance as the site where Jesus took on the sins of the world, was arrested and later ascended to heaven. Predictably, several churches have been built here, but visitors can still wander the old olive groves at Gethsemane (Click here) and the Tomb of the Virgin Mary (Map; 6am-noon & 2.30-5pm). Equally