Christmas is approaching and suddenly Jerusalem and its history begin to make an appearance. Have you ever traveled to this ancient and important religious city?
Surely Israel is not one of the safest places in the world, but really, today, what place is? If we were guided only by safety when traveling, we would travel very few kilometers ... So,three days in Jerusalem? Sure!
Jerusalem, one city and three religions
Today It is the capital of Israel and its most populous city with almost a million inhabitants. It was conquered and occupied by the Israelis in 1967, after the UN divided it in 1947 between Jews and Arabs, and the Palestinians still claim part of it, although there is no indication that they will recover it soon.
According to archaeologists its history dates back to the XNUMXth century BC and it was already a town in the Bronze Age, between 3 and 2800 BC
What to do in Jerusalem
It should all start with the Old CityAfter all it is the core of the story. It is surrounded by a wall and It is divided into four neighborhoods, the Jewish, the Christian, the Muslim and the Armenian.
Inside here you will spend a good part of the first day and the second well concentrates the holy places of the three largest religions. You will see the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Dome of the Rock, Temple of the Mount and the West Wall. This wall is the famous Western Wall.
- Church of the Holy Sepulcher: between April and September open from 5 to 9 pm every day and between October and March from 4 to 7 pm. There is mass four times every Sunday in summer and winter and five on weekdays. In latin. There are usually priests listening to confessions, administering the sacrament of Reconciliation and processions.
- Dome of the Rock and Temple of the Mount: It is difficult to visit because it has very restrictive hours and a lot of security, but if you plan well it is possible. Tourists and Muslims can only get there from Mugrabi Gate, near Wall Square and near Dun Gate. In summer it opens from Sunday to Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. In winter it does it between 7:30 and 10:30 am and between 12:30 and 1:30 pm. It closes on Jewish festivals or national holidays. You should go an hour and a little before it opens because there are many people and remember to bring a hat, water and sunscreen. Be careful with your clothes, if you are a woman, pants and a large scarf should be used to cover the upper part of the body. And for men it is also valid because it covers the shorts. Admission is free. Don't forget your passport!
Around are the tunnels of the wall, the Jewish Quarter, the citadel of Cardo and David and the Davidson Center. A walk through the neighborhood is worth it because it is a trip back in time to the history of this town: Herod's Mansions, the Burned House, Cardo Street, the remains of the First Temple that the Babylonians knocked down, some of the Medieval jerusalem, synagogues and much more.
If you are a Christian, you will also be interested in walking through it Christian Quarter that concentrates about 40 religious buildings between monasteries and pilgrims' houses. It is the place of the Painful way, the final journey of Jesus on the way to Golgotha hill, so many tourists go through it starting the way in the Muslim Quarter and going through the 14 stations of the Cross to finish in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
La Dormition Abbey It was built where it is believed that the Virgin Mary slept on the last night, about a hundred years after the death of Christ, and next to it is the Last Supper room, supposedly. This to the west of the Old City, to the east is the Mount of olives and a handful of charming old churches.
All this will take you easily a whole day or a day and a half, always depending on where you enter or how long you stop at each place, plus the obligatory stops to rest, eat and refresh yourself. I would concentrate everything in two whole days, well organized, to have time and fully enjoy these sites that you may never visit again. And then I would leave a whole day to know the other Jerusalem.
The city has colorful markets where you can buy souvenirs, clothes, ceramics, crystals, candles, rugs and much more. The New cityFor example, it's the part that dates back to the XNUMXth century, and it has several neighborhoods that you can walk through. There you can visit the Israel Museum, the Monastery of the Cross or the colorful Makhane Yehuda Market.
Speaking of museum, if you like them, you can visit the Biblical Lands Museum, the Museum of Islamic Art or the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial.
At nightfall, if you are not tired, you can always walk through the German Colony, Shlomtsiron HMalka Street, the Russian countryside or Nakhalat Shiv'a to rub shoulders with young people, drink and have fun. The gastronomic offer is varied because the city is multicultural so it is impossible to get bored with the flavors.
Eating out is a must, every night of those three days, because the restaurants and street stalls are very worth it. Finally, in the evening of that last day in Jerusalem, I recommend stroll to the top of the walls of the Old City. The view is wonderful.
That's how complete a trip to Jerusalem must be, if you already stay more days you can add excursions around (Masala, the Dead Sea, Jericho, Ein Gedi), or see what cultural activities take place during your stay.