Middle East - Anthony Ham [265]
Like the Berlin Wall but more so (after all, it’s more than twice as high), Bethlehem’s stretch of sheer grey concrete has been turned into a rich canvas for social commentary. Look out for UK graffiti artist Banksy’s irony-laden images, and Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters’ ‘No Thought Control’ slogan, sprayed on during a trip to the region in 2006. Though it’s not officially allowed, Israeli soldiers seem fairly tolerant of the mural-makers, both local and international, and though you should heed any instructions (who wouldn’t, if face to face with reflective sunglasses and a machine gun?), taking photos of the artwork shouldn’t present any problems.
Though it’s fast becoming a tourist attraction in its own right, let’s hope that one day, just like the Berlin Wall, the wall’s most famous images will be available, in chunk-form only, on eBay.
* * *
The centre of town is the pretty Manger Sq, on which stands the Church of the Nativity, the police station, post office, municipality buildings, a scattering of souvenir shops, and the Peace Centre ( 276 6677; peacenter.org; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 9am-4pm Sun, 9am-2am Christmas Eve), which offers tourist information and free maps, organises cultural events, and hosts a bookshop and public toilets. Open Bethlehem, also on Manger Sq, is the place to head for an inside picture into the West Bank. See Inside the West Bank (Click here) for more details.
Sights
The venerable Church of the Nativity ( 5.30am-5pm), commissioned by the Emperor Constantine in AD 326, is one of the world’s oldest functioning churches, and has had its fair share of sackings, lootings and invasions over the ages. The church also encompasses the underground Grotto of the Nativity, where Jesus is said to have been born and the Chapel of the Manger with its year-round nativity scene. Adjoining the church is the pinkish St Catherine’s Church, from which Bethlehem’s famous Midnight Mass in broadcast on Christmas Eve. The tour guides (around 50NIS for an hour) hanging around outside the church are usually highly knowledgeable and well worth taking along for the tour.
On Milk Grotto St is Milk Grotto Chapel ( 8-11am & 2-6pm), a shrine that commemorates the lactation of the Virgin Mary and to which women wanting children frequently make a quick pilgrimage. Across town, the Old Bethlehem Museum ( 274 2589; arabwomenunion.org; Star St; 8am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Sat, closed Thu afternoon) offers a glimpse into a 19th-century Palestinian home, and there’s also a gift shop vending crafts produced by the Arab Women’s Union NGO.
Head to the International Centre of Bethlehem (Dar Annadwa) ( 277 0047; www.annadwa.org; Pope Paul VI St), for regular exhibitions of Palestinian artists, events, classes, and a quiet café.
* * *
BETHLEHEM’S FOOTBALL STARS
If, while in Bethlehem, you happen to see a group of young women – some in shorts and trainers, others in headscarves and long sleeves – kicking a football around a car park, don’t be surprised: these are members of the Palestinian Women’s National Soccer Team, whose Bethlehem members practice their dribbles and passes every Wednesday evening.
Though they have little in the way of re-sources – without even a grass pitch to train on – and though some of the team are from all the way to the west in inaccessible Gaza, the team won’t be daunted. Despite checkpoints and permits, they have competed in Abu Dhabi and Amman, among other Middle Eastern locations. They may have yet to score a victory on the field, but the team members see their very existence as a victory against circumstances.
* * *
Sleeping
The only time you’ll have to worry about room at the inn is at Christmas, when pilgrims still flock to Bethlehem for carols at the churches and prices may rise by up to 50%.
Arab Women’s Union ( 277 5507; arwomenunion@yahoo.com; Beit Sahour; r US$20) In the nearby Christian village of Beit Sahour, this simple but comfy guesthouse is run by local women, who