Ever since I read Guy Delisle’s Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City I’ve wanted to set my foot into Jerusalem. Jerusalem has been dubbed a holy city because it is a sacred location for three major religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Before we delve in, we want to mention that there is a lot of controversy over visiting Israel. As a country they are exhibiting colonialist behaviour over Palestinians, and a lot of people believe that for this reason travelling to Israel should be boycotted. As a woman who is from a Muslim-majority country, I empathize with Palestinians and absolutely do not condone the actions of Israel. As a traveller however, I am interested in history and culture, and opportunities to visit every corner of the world. For this reason we embarked on the trip. This blog post is not to advertise that everyone should go visit Israel, of course we understand that this will be a by-product, rather it is a glimpse at our experience while visiting the region.
Before checking in to our flight to Tel Aviv at the Berlin Schönefeld airport, we were questioned by security as to why we were travelling there. Chris and I were questioned separately. After about 10 minutes of questioning, they let us through, along with a sticker in our passport which indicated that we were thoroughly interrogated.
Going through the Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport was not as troublesome as we’ve been led to believe. I think mainly because we were already questioned in Berlin, and they are less likely to target couples than single men. I thought that since I was born in Bangladesh, a Muslim country, that this would be an issue when they checked my passport, even for the fact that we’ve visited other Muslim countries in the past few years. However, there was not much attention placed on my birth country. (Although it is possible that that’s why we were questioned for so long compared to other passengers). Our passport by the way was not stamped. They now give you a piece of paper as a stamp, which you need to hold on to until you leave.
When we landed security quickly looked through our passports and let us through. Simple. Hassle-free. We felt like citizens. From the airport we took a 40 minute train straight to Jerusalem Navon station. Our Airbnb was in the downtown area of the city, along Jaffa Sreet. One thing you definitely notice right away is the ubiquitous security. There are military soldiers walking around, guns in hand, dressed in full uniform, alert and ready to fight at a moment’s notice.
Old Town
Our first full day began with a self-guided tour of old town through Jaffa Gate. We could see the Tower of David looming over the gate as we entered.
We went during the summer month of June. The days were hot and there were not enough trees to provide shade. The buildings of Jerusalem are the color of khaki and sand, which really reminded you that you were near desert. The city brought to mind Morocco. Old town is small and compact with various narrow walkways lined with markets selling goods and food. We saw many shops selling spices, jewelry, clothing, souvenirs, falafel, fruit juices, coffee, t-shirts with Jewish-related puns, and anything which you normally see being sold in markets in tourist-y areas.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
There are different quarters in old town – the Christian Quarter, Jewish Quarter, Armenian Quarter, and Muslim Quarter. We started off in the Christian Quarter to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was built on the site where Jesus was crucified and buried. The ceilings of the church are high, domed, arched with pillars, and decorated with holy images. It is lit up by ornate lamps and candles. When you enter you see the slab of stone where Jesus lay after crucifixion, and where his body was to be prepared for burial. Many people visit this church daily, especially groups who are on a pilgrimage to see all the holy sites. For many of them visiting the church is an emotional and moving experience. We encountered many who were brought to tears.
There are two levels in the church and many passageways to different areas. On the second floor is an altar of Jesus’ crucifixion. Many lined up to pay their respects to the statue, kneeling, praying and lighting candles.
The visit to the church is not complete without taking a walk down Via Dolorosa where Jesus was believed to have walked on his way to crucifixion.
The Western “Wailing” Wall
The Western Wall is a remnant of the Second Temple of Jerusalem which was a holy site for the Jewish people, and destroyed by the Romans. The Wall runs deeper underground which you can view through a guided tour. This part of the Wall is untouched and in its original form which dates back to the first century C.E. Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to see the underground part of the Wall. Tickets need to be booked well in advance and we found out about the rest of the Wall too late. We did see the visible Wall however, where people touched the stones of the Wall to pray. The Wall is separated for males and females to pay their respects. We didn’t witness much “wailing”.
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, where you can find the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque, is on the other side of the Western Wall. There are certain passageways which are blocked off if you want to enter into the Muslim quarter or Temple Mount. Instead, you have to go to the designated entrance. For the Temple Mount, the entrance is by the Western Wall. The entrance to the Muslim quarter is through Damascus gate.
You need to plan when visiting this site since the hours for visitors are minimal. In the summer non-Muslim visitors can enter from Monday-Thursday from 8:30am-10:30am, and 1:30pm-2:30pm. At first we didn’t think one or two hours would be sufficient to visit the mount, but it seemed to be enough. This is because unless you are Muslim you are not allowed to enter into the Dome of the Rock since it is an Islamic shrine, or the Al Aqsa Mosque. The dome is so beautiful in person. The gold of the dome glistens from the sun, and the detail that went into the mosaic of the building’s facade is impressive. It reminded me of some of the buildings in India built by the Mughals, like the Taj Mahal.
The Al Aqsa Mosque sits nearby where Muslims go to pray (pictured below with the grey/black dome). It is the third holiest site in Islam. The mosque was built on the site where it is believed that Muhammad ascended into heaven.
City of David
If you want to visit the City of David, you need to get a tour guide because the details of its history is worth listening to. The tour cost us 60 NIS (17 USD). The city is an archaeological site of ancient Jerusalem ruled at the time by King David. It is about 4,000 years old and sits outside of the old city of Jerusalem, at the base of the slope of Mt. Olive. Archaeologists have excavated clay seals, stones sculpted into intricate designs, small areas with four walls believed to be rooms, and even toilets!
We took a tour of Hezekiah’s tunnel, a water channel carved during David’s time. Gihon Spring feeds water through this channel and into the city. It was discovered in 1838 and found to have still been flowing with water for 2,000 years. It’s a very narrow and dark tunnel. We recommend bringing a flashlight, after learning from our mistake at the Actún Can cave in Flores, Guatemala. When you begin wading through it, the water reaches just above your knees (I’m about 5’4), but during most of the walk it reaches just above your ankles. The walk through the tunnel takes about 20 minutes. We recommend wearing sandals or crocs through this tunnel because we went bare feet and it was painful. There are slabs of stone underneath the water, some smooth, but most of them are rocky with edges which hurt our feet by the time we finished the walk.
Mount of Olives
Mount of Olives is a Jewish burial site on a hill across from the Temple Mount. It does not only contain ancient burial sites but also more recent burials on top of the old ones. The name is derived from the fact that the slopes used to be covered in olive groves. It is also the site where Jesus was believed to have ascended to heaven, so it is a place of worship for Christians as well.
These are the olive trees you will see around the site.
After you climb up the side of the cemetery, a hike for about 15-20 minutes, there is a look-out point for an aerial view of the burial site, and a distant view of the old city and City of David.
The Cenacle and King David’s Tomb
Both of these sites are in the same area and free of charge. The Cenacle is where it is believed Jesus had his last supper, and the site of Leonardo Da Vinci’s backdrop for his famous painting, The Last Supper. This room is in the same compound as David’s Tomb. To view the tomb, men need to wear a yarmulke before entering. The tomb is separated by a wall, one side for women and the other for men. There is not much to see there except for the closed tomb and a few people praying.
Mahane Yehuda Market
Don’t forget to visit the Mahane Yehuda Market when you are in the downtown area of Jerusalem. It is a large market with many restaurants, cafes, bars, and booths selling produce and Middle Eastern delicacies.
We wanted to try Halva! It is a dense and sweet dessert. The one we got was nut-butter based with almonds, tahini, honey and sugar. The texture is grainy and you could see the fibres of the dessert when you cut into a piece. It is really delicious! We ended up getting way more than we wanted because of the language barrier and uncertainty about prices. So, make sure to be very clear with what you want or practice numbers in Hebrew.
The Dead Sea
The highlight of the trip was without a doubt the Dead Sea. This shockingly salty body of water has the lowest elevation on land. It sits at about 430 metres below sea level, and continues to drop due to the commercial use of the water. East of the Dead Sea is Jordan which owns the eastern shore. We booked a shuttle bus through Tourist Israel to take us to the site in the morning, which is a good time because of the burning heat and minimal shade. The bus drove through occupied West Bank and dropped us off at the Kalia beach which is part of a resort. If you are part of a tour they will only let you in through a resort. We walked into the sea and dropped in like light-weight beach balls. Your legs have a mind of their own in the salt water, rising up until you are horizontal. Make sure to not dunk your head in the water and get it in your eye, it would feel like fire scorching your eyeballs. In fact, just from being in the water for 15 minutes you feel a burning sensation on your body. If you have any cuts it is best to not swim for too long in the water.
We collected handfuls of dark grey clay from the bottom of the sea and spread it all over our bodies. The Dead Sea mud is believed to have therapeutic and healing properties for your skin. We kept the mud on for about 10 minutes or so then washed it off.
One tip: if you plan to book with Tourist Israel, they offer either a shuttle bus to the Dead Sea and back, or they include a tour of Masada along with a visit to the Dead Sea. We regretted not doing a package tour of the Dead Sea and Masada because once you get to the Dead Sea and swim for a short while there is not much to do after. The bus dropped us off at 9am and didn’t pick us up until around 6pm. The bar and restaurant is really pricey and not worth spending the afternoon at.
Masada is south of the Dead Sea and is an ancient fortress on top of a plateau. All around you can see desert and rock formations. Plan to go on a cooler day since it can get very hot. We’ve heard good things about Masada from a friend who is a history buff, so if you get a chance and love history then Masada is a worthy destination.
Yad Vashem
On the last day before leaving for Tel Aviv we decided to check out the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. But before we did, we grabbed some breakfast nearby at Ofaimme Farm Cafe. It was a Mediterranean style breakfast with eggs, veggies dressed in olive oil, different types of cheese including goat cheese, sweetened tomato spread, pesto, and pita.
The entrance to Yad Vashem is free and it takes several hours to visit the compound. Not only can you visit the museum showcasing the history of WWII and the tragedy of the Holocaust, but there is also an art gallery exhibiting paintings from those who died or survived the Holocaust. In addition, you can visit a museum for the history of photography and how images have had an impact on understanding history, in particular the genocide of WWII.
Go early and take your time here, reading as much as you can, it’s very informative and interesting.
Have you been to Jerusalem? What are your thoughts? Share below!
Copyright © Beyond Here 2019
Guide to Israel’s Tel Aviv
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