Lent: Journey Through the Holy Land – Part 34

One of my favorite parts of our time in Jerusalem was the way our days were structured. We would spend our mornings and up through the early afternoon on our guided tours, and then in the afternoons we had free time to explore Jerusalem and the Old City.

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Our hotel was not very far from the Damascus Gate, which we were able to use to enter into the Old City of Jerusalem.

The Old City is primarily navigated by walking, but cccasionally you’ll have someone on a scooter or other small motorized vehicle trying to get through the narrow pathways. And if you’re not careful – they just might run into you!

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At first the Old City seems like a very difficult maze with tall buildings on either side of you and the impossibility of finding a sense of direction. But by our third day in Jerusalem the twists and turns, and quick corners and small alleyways soon became easier to navigate and we ended up at our destinations a lot quicker than we imagined. I can’t tell you how many times we were trying to get to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and didn’t realize it was right in front of us.

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As you walk through the Old City there are shops every where. There’s shops selling scarves, souvenirs, rosaries, shirts, candies, spices, you name it! People would stand outside their shops calling at you and trying to entice you to come in and purchase something.  Walking through the Old City is an experience unlike anything I’ve ever seen. In some ways it reminded me of the market in Budapest or the pathways of Venice. Yet it was so different. 

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In some areas of the Old City, it is a little more open air than the confined alleys. Right outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is an area kind of like this with a little coffee shop. We were able to sit down take in the views and just enjoy fellowship and new friendship. 

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I am a total sucker for old architecture and old buildings. There is so much attention to detail and there’s little elements that are ornate that catch your eye. it also amazes me at how these buildings are all made of stone and they’re tall and this was all done by hand. It’s remarkable to be able to see buildings or pieces of buildings that have been there for hundreds if not thousands of years.

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The Old City of Jerusalem is such an interesting and remarkable place. I can’t wait to share more from the old city and from Jerusalem over the rest of our Lenten journey together! 

Abbey Jo