Bits & pieces of the Old City of Jerusalem
The Old City of Jerusalem is a fascinating place to visit in Israel.
There is too much to write about in the Old City of Jerusalem than can be contained in one blog post. In this blog post, I will just be writing about the interesting bits & pieces of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem lies in the center of 3 continents of the world: Europe, Asia, and Africa.
The Old City of Jerusalem lies at the very heart of Jerusalem, the center of the center of the world.
Let's begin our journey at the most impressive part of the Old City - the city walls.
The city walls of the Old City of Jerusalem were very important in ancient times.
The walls of the Old city are 5 to 15 meters tall, and stretch for approximately 4.5 km. The wall is also 3 meters thick (10 feet) at its base. Even to the modern eye, Jerusalem's walls are very impressive! Think about how the people of the ancient times would see the walls!
Walls provided a sense of protection to a city. Without fighter jets and paratroopers, an invading army needed to climb over a city's walls before entering the city. This was the reason why Jerusalem was sometimes besieged for 2 years before the invading army could even set foot on the city itself.
Much of the walls of the Old City are actually beneath the ground. Each time as different armies invaded and took control of Jerusalem, they built upon the remains of the previous city.
Below is a picture of the narrow streets of the Old City early in the morning:
The streets of the Old City are very narrow and complicated and twist and turn in crazy directions. The good thing is, if you keep on walking on one street, you will always we able to find your way out (or arrive at a dead end).
In the early morning, the streets of the Old City are somewhat quiet. Few people are up and about. However, once thee clock strikes 10 am, the streets look like this:
Shops open! Tourists fill the streets! People push around! The streets are anything but quiet! Shop owners yell "Cashmere! Cashmere! 3 for 10 dollars!"
Scarves:
The tiny shops sell all different kinds of things. Some sell clothes, kippas, scarves, skirts, T-shirts, sandals, carpets, or hats. Other stores sell food. Many shops sell fresh juice, fresh bread, candy or halva (a type of candy/dessert). Still others sell bags, purses, crosses, incense, porcelain, menorahs, magnets, stuffed animals, and other souvenirs.
Souvenirs on the streets:
The Western Wall (see this blog post) is a very special historical and religious site in the Old City. It is part of what made the ancient city of Jerusalem special in old times. During the 3 big feasts each year, the Israelites would gather together in Jerusalem at the Temple to worship God (Jesus did this, too. See John 7). The Western Wall is part of the wall that surrounded the Temple in ancient times.
The Western Wall:
A minute's walk from the Old city stands the Golden Menorah. The Golden Menorah is modeled after the 7 Golden Menorahs in Solomon's Temple. The Gold on the Menorah is hammered from one piece.
The walls of the Old City that are above the ground look very impressive already, but there's even more underneath!
Each empire that conquered Jerusalem built on the remains of the previous empire. The real "Old" city of Jerusalem is actually not what we see on the surface!
Below is the ancient market place in Roman times:
This place above is empty. Once in a while, tour groups pass through. In Roman times, however, it was bustling with life. It was the ancient market place.
The Old City has a rich and long history. It is a must-see in Jerusalem!
Above the ground, there is already so much to see! There is so much more to it than can be seen on the surface.
I hope that all of you will be able to visit the Old City one day and experience it for yourself!
There is too much to write about in the Old City of Jerusalem than can be contained in one blog post. In this blog post, I will just be writing about the interesting bits & pieces of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem lies in the center of 3 continents of the world: Europe, Asia, and Africa.
The Old City of Jerusalem lies at the very heart of Jerusalem, the center of the center of the world.
Let's begin our journey at the most impressive part of the Old City - the city walls.
The city walls of the Old City of Jerusalem were very important in ancient times.
The walls of the Old city are 5 to 15 meters tall, and stretch for approximately 4.5 km. The wall is also 3 meters thick (10 feet) at its base. Even to the modern eye, Jerusalem's walls are very impressive! Think about how the people of the ancient times would see the walls!
Walls provided a sense of protection to a city. Without fighter jets and paratroopers, an invading army needed to climb over a city's walls before entering the city. This was the reason why Jerusalem was sometimes besieged for 2 years before the invading army could even set foot on the city itself.
Much of the walls of the Old City are actually beneath the ground. Each time as different armies invaded and took control of Jerusalem, they built upon the remains of the previous city.
Below is a picture of the narrow streets of the Old City early in the morning:
The streets of the Old City are very narrow and complicated and twist and turn in crazy directions. The good thing is, if you keep on walking on one street, you will always we able to find your way out (or arrive at a dead end).
In the early morning, the streets of the Old City are somewhat quiet. Few people are up and about. However, once thee clock strikes 10 am, the streets look like this:
Shops open! Tourists fill the streets! People push around! The streets are anything but quiet! Shop owners yell "Cashmere! Cashmere! 3 for 10 dollars!"
Scarves:
The tiny shops sell all different kinds of things. Some sell clothes, kippas, scarves, skirts, T-shirts, sandals, carpets, or hats. Other stores sell food. Many shops sell fresh juice, fresh bread, candy or halva (a type of candy/dessert). Still others sell bags, purses, crosses, incense, porcelain, menorahs, magnets, stuffed animals, and other souvenirs.
Souvenirs on the streets:
The Western Wall (see this blog post) is a very special historical and religious site in the Old City. It is part of what made the ancient city of Jerusalem special in old times. During the 3 big feasts each year, the Israelites would gather together in Jerusalem at the Temple to worship God (Jesus did this, too. See John 7). The Western Wall is part of the wall that surrounded the Temple in ancient times.
The Western Wall:
A minute's walk from the Old city stands the Golden Menorah. The Golden Menorah is modeled after the 7 Golden Menorahs in Solomon's Temple. The Gold on the Menorah is hammered from one piece.
The walls of the Old City that are above the ground look very impressive already, but there's even more underneath!
Each empire that conquered Jerusalem built on the remains of the previous empire. The real "Old" city of Jerusalem is actually not what we see on the surface!
Below is the ancient market place in Roman times:
This place above is empty. Once in a while, tour groups pass through. In Roman times, however, it was bustling with life. It was the ancient market place.
The Old City has a rich and long history. It is a must-see in Jerusalem!
Above the ground, there is already so much to see! There is so much more to it than can be seen on the surface.
I hope that all of you will be able to visit the Old City one day and experience it for yourself!
Read more about our time in Israel!
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hat I appreciate most about indoor playground in Singapore is the inclusion of sensory play activities. These areas are designed to stimulate children's senses, helping them develop important sensory processing skills in a fun and engaging way.
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