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JEREMY WOODHOUSE/GETTYIMAGES HOLY LAND YOU REALISE A HARMONIOUSYOU REALISE OF WORLD RELIGIONS THAT SEEKS WHEN INSIDE IN THE WALLS JERUSALEM,OF THE CITY OLD TO RISE ABOVE ITS DESTINY OF TO AN CHARM.DESTINY RISE OLD-WORLD ITS ABOVE A MODERN ISRAEL IS READY TO UNFOLD.TO A IS MODERN READY ISRAEL TRAVEL BY + LEISURE / JULY 2016 MALAVIKA BHATTACHARYA at dusk. at Wall Western tourists at the and Locals

89 29/06/16 12:24am This is a fairly common resurrection, the place overwhelmes sight, women praying you with the Christian ceremonies and a with their heads against the Western Wall. swarming crowd of pilgrims who weep and kneel over the Stone of Unction, a slab of wood where Jesus’ body was anointed before burial. Black-robed, candle-bearing Greek orthodox priests circumambulate the large central enclosure supposedly containing the tomb of Jesus; up in the Golgotha, pilgrims crouch and fi le into a low chapel to touch the stone upon which the cross was raised. There is no way to verify any of these claims, yet here, belief overpowers all. The atmosphere is charged with the sound of organ music, the glazed “BOTH TERRESTRIAL looks, the hum of mumbled prayers, and the hysterics—or Jerusalem Syndrome— known to aff ect many in these parts. My septuagenarian guide Eli Gertler shares a common joke about how much it AND CELESTIAL” costs to talk to God from all over the world. wrote Simon Sebag Montefi ore of Jerusalem in his book, Jerusalem: “Millions and millions of dollars,” he says. The Biography. “The only city to exist twice—in heaven and on earth.” “But in Jerusalem, only fi ve shekels for Such grand affi rmations of Jerusalem are not surprising. It has elicited three hours.” Why? “Because, my friend, extremes: Desire and rage, controversy and strife, destruction and it is a local call.” revival, seen always as the ultimate prize to be claimed. It was, after all, once considered the centre of the world. And although a modern city For all the fervour and fanaticism on display, today, with hotels, offi ces, and schools, the Old City in East Jerusalem the slim streets of the Old City provide continues to sway even the most stoic of non-believers in curious ready diversions in its four quarters— ways. Enshrined within the high walls of smooth white dolomite lie the Jewish, Armenian, Muslim, and Christian. treasures that legions and civilisations have fought over for centuries. For instance, the Armenian Tavern, Three religions, four quarters, over 3,000 years of history, all tightly a cosy, low-roofed restaurant, where compressed into a teeny one-square-kilometre pocket. antiques covered every inch and the roof I fi rst see it from atop Mount Scopus, a monochromatic tumult was strung with colourful glass lamps, of higgledy-piggledy buildings neatly ringed by the 16th-century or Costa’s Greek Restaurant in the Muslim Ottoman Wall. Most fi ttingly, four structures tower above the low- Quarter, a teeny space pressed into a lying rooftops: The dull grey dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in line with wall by a narrow stairwell, where a suave the gold-encrusted cupola of the Dome of the Rock; the blurry white gentleman with a clipped moustache bulb of the Hurva Synangogue; and beyond, the slender tower of the and a regal demeanour is sitting at the Holy Sepulchre. A symbolic representation of the three monotheistic entrance, spiffi ly dressed in a grey striped faiths—Judaism, Islam, and Christianity—lies at the core of the city. shirt and matching tie. We speak no Religion is the mainstay of Jerusalem and its Old City draws millions common language, but to serve us kahwa, to the religious sites, swathed in equal measures by legend and dispute. he delicately unpacks his fi ne Turkish To Muslims, the Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary), where the coff ee set, and pours us the viscous, Dome of the Rock stands, marks the spot where Prophet Muhammad is sweetened concoction. said to have ascended to heaven. To Jews, this is Temple Mount, where It's easy to spot the pale Jerusalem Abraham had off ered his son Isaac for sacrifi ce. Also signifi cant is the Stone—the limestone or dolomite that site of Solomon’s Temple, which was destroyed by the Babylonians, then must be used for all construction in rebuilt by Herod as the Second Temple, only to be razed again 400 years the city—adorning every façade, later by the Romans. The only remaining vestige of this Jewish legacy to and swathes of bougainvillea providing survive the great destruction is the wall that supported the western edge sudden magenta interruptions in the of Temple Mount—the Wailing Wall or the Western Wall—the most colour palette. Blue and white Armenian sacred of structures for Jews. ceramics adorn shop windows, and the Here, the devout press their heads against the stone and pray, souks of the Muslim quarter are all awash often sobbing into the edifi ce. Thousands of folded notes containing with the scent of spices. Under the arches, written prayers are stuff ed into the crevices shops do brisk business selling heaps of where the stone has parted, to create trails like tearstains down the zaatar and tabak, colourful lamps and sepia frontage. pottery, clothing and religious souvenirs. Nearby, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, faith is a visceral From pushcarts, I purchase the freshest blanket that wraps itself around the darkened innards of the sacred orange juice and snacked on deep fried

chambers. Believed to be the site of Jesus’ crucifi xion, burial, and falafel stuff ed into pita pockets and CHESLEY/GETTYIMAGES PAUL

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CLOCKWISE: DMITRY SHAKIN/GETTYIMAGES; LEISA TYLER/GETTYIMAGES; DAN HERRICK/GETTYIMAGES; MEDIOIMAGES/PHOTODISC/GETTYIMAGES; IDRIS AHMED/GETTYIMAGES city. zu-zu.co.il an alternative andeasyway toexperience the around various Jerusalemneighbourhoods— Segway Tour ZuzuorganisesSegway tours spices andceramics atthestreet markets. shops andcafesalongthestreets. Shop for StopNavigate theOldCity atcharming DO the-eucalyptus.com stone building,isanaddedadvantage. slow-cooked lamb.Thesetting, inacavernous recipes andtraditions—think Maqloubaand creationsareinspiredby age-old legendary The Eucalyptus ChefMosheBasson’s EAT Dan chain.danhotels.com ofthe choice forcelebritiesandisalsoapart walls, thisisaleading outside theOldCity King David HotelAniconichotellocatedjust danhotels.com hotelhasthebest views.distance, thisluxury Scopus overlooking walls inthe theOldCity Dan JerusalemHotelOntheslopesofMount STAY there, Jerusalemisaround90minutesby road. El Alfl GETTING THERE THE DETAILS a cafe on the shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic in Republic the Ohrid of Lake a on shore the cafe a chef prepares food outside a restaurant in the a restaurant outside food a prepares chef the Holocaust Museum; the intricate detailing detailing intricate the Museum; Holocaust the noted as the 'Jerusalem of the Balkans' for its its for of Balkans' the as 'Jerusalem the noted Muslim Quarter; a sculpture at Yad Vashem, a sculpture Quarter; Muslim of Macedonia; the adjacent town of Ohrid is of Ohrid town adjacent the of Macedonia; 365 churches, one for each day of the year; day of each one year; for the churches, 365 CLOCKWISE: CLOCKWISE: ies directfromMumbaitoTel Aviv. From at Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif). at Temple(Haram Mount The Church of Holy Sepulchre; of Holy Sepulchre; Church The trombone, singing songsof Yerushalayim. in traditionalgarb,they wield their electric guitarsanda neonorange gathered intheplaza—as a seven-member bandsets up stage.Dressed Wall. Scoresofonlookers arepouringin—soon,there will be1,00,000 the Al-Aqsa Mosque; between them, intheforeground, isthe Wailing shimmer inthelowering sun;totheright,mutedgrey domeof Western Wall plaza: To theleft,DomeofRock hasa golden Crusaders, tonamea few. through thesespaces:theBabylonians, Byzantines, Romans, and layers ofhistory peelback toreveal thecivilisations thathave passed dynasties, thecity hasgrown vertically over thecenturies,and stairwells ofthemultileveled Old City. Built upon theruinsofearlier Jerusalem hasnever beenconventional. and stoppingatbalconiesfor views ofthecity’s ramparts. Then again, of theoldestcitiesin world, swooping throughleafy boulevards the fountain at Teddy Park. Defi the gorgeous foliage-wrapped stonehousesof Yemin Moshe; tostopat overlooks Mount Zion(the fi building; theJewish neighbourhoodofMishkenot Sha’ananim that I glidepastKingDavid Hotel, a celebrity magnet;theiconic YMCA in thesightsofJerusalem, thistimefromoutsidetheOld City walls. me onceagainasI whoosh alongthestreetsona Segway, taking old citadelsmadeofstone. Except, itscouturestoresandcutting-edgedininglie within centuries- with buskers andsculptures,busy coff distinct architecture,thiscouldbea highstreetinany Europeanmetro, and dolomite-cladstructuresofthe19 features designer labelsandtrendy cafes housed within thearches upon theswishMamilla Mall. The open-to-the-sky shoppingstreet through theJaff himself perform a rapsongintoa voice recorder. Next tome,a young orthodox Jew—curls, tophatandall—is fi and rolltunesonthedrumskeys, aschildrendanceinthesquare. traditionally inblack and white and with kippehs,arechurningoutrock From a vantage pointona rooftop,Ihave a sweeping view ofthe For theevening’s events, Ifi This curiousjuxtapositionofthemodernagainstancientstrikes Such contrastsonly deepenoutsidethe walls oftheOld City. Exiting a Gate,oneoftheeightthatleadintocity, Icome white beards and protruding mid-sections, dressed white beardsandprotrudingmid-sections,dressed band issetting up stage. Aged gentlemen with fl products, andjewellery ontheother. A three-piece surrounded by fastfood joints,shopssellingDeadSea is fl with familiesandtourists while itsopen-air plaza warren ofalleyways with jingoisticfervour. above theheadsofhundredsasthey paradethroughthe fl the Six Day War with Jordan inJune 1967. The white unifi Old City for Jerusalem Day, theanniversary ofthe from acrossthelandhadpressedthemselves intothe the streetsareeerily deserted,only becausethousands with yarmulkes ontheir heads.Outsidethe walls, and indigo—thecoloursoftheIsraelifl Yerushalayim”, they chantbrazenly, dressedin white youth washed over itscobbledstreets.“Yerushalayim the groundtremblesasa surge offrenziedJewish creamy sweet hummus. overfl ags with theblueStar ofDavid arefl anked by theHurva Synagogue ononeedgeand The Hurva SquareintheJewish Quarter isoverrun And then,atthe very heartofthisholy land, cation ofEastJerusalem with Israelattheendof owing with tendrilsofcucumber topped with rst Jewish settlementoutsidetheOld City); nd my way throughthearchesand nitely a peculiar way tonavigate one TRAVEL TRAVEL ee shopsandItalian restaurants. th century buildings.Save for the + +

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