Confessions of a makeshift Archeologist: Walking tour of the Old City

Last Saturday, a few of us from our dig site went on a walking tour of the Old City with Professor Yosef Garfinkel for almost 6 hours! We toured the Armenian, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Quarters. We started our tour at Jaffa Gate, which is next to the Christian and Armenian Quarters.

Walking along the Old City wall

Jaffa Gate which was built by Suleiman.

Jaffa Gate, the western most gate, which was originally used as a road to Hebron.

Bagels that are being sold at the Jaffa Gate.

The only two graves which are inside the Old City. It is believed that they were the architects of the Jaffa Gate and after it was built they were killed so they could not build a better, rival gate for another ruler.

Inside the city walls.

Part of the citadel to the Jaffa Gate


The tower of David.

After walking through the Jaffa Gate, the first place we went to was the Armenian Quarter. The Armenian Quarter is the smallest quarter with the smallest population within the Old City. Most of it is closed off to the public, which helps maintain their privacy.

Outside the Cathedral of St. James in the Armenian Quarter.

Inside one of the Armenian Churches.

another picture inside the church

tiles along the outside wall of the church

Hand painted Armenian pottery.

Hand painting the pottery in the back of the shop.

gorgeous Armenian pottery

more pottery...the designs and colors were amazing looking

Armenian table

All throughout the Armenian Quarter are posters about the Armenian Genocide.

The next quarter we visited was the Jewish Quarter which I think is the cleanest quarter of the Old City.

The Jewish Quarter!

Houses within the Jewish Quarter.

The Syrian Orthodox Church inside the Jewish Quarter.

Inside the Syrian church where they believe the Last Supper was held.

inside the Syrian church.

A view of the Dome of the Rock from the roof of the Jewish Quarter.

The bazaar in the Jewish Quarter.

The Western Wall from the Observation deck.


Another view of the Western Wall.

Dome of the Rock from the Observation deck.

The Muslim Quarter was the next stop on our walking tour, which is the largest quarter within the city walls. It extends from the Lion's Gate in the east, along the wall of the Temple Mount in the south, to the Damascus Gate in the west. Inside the Muslim Quarter are Jewish and Christian landmarks, including the first seven stations of the Via Dolorosa and the Western Wall Tunnels.

The Cotton market, which leads to the Dome of the Rock.

Some of the items being sold in the Cotton market.

The closest that non-Muslims can get to the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. At the end of one of the streets of the Cotton market are two guards and if you stand at the top of the steps, you are about 300 feet from the Dome of the Rock.

Another picture...in the 1990's, the King of Jordan financed the restoration of the dome and now it is made of 24 karat gold, instead of bronze alloy.

Smoking Hookahs is a favorite past time in the Muslim Quarter.

Spices

Throughout the Muslim Quarter their is Mamluk architecture from the 13th-15th centuries.

Mamluk architecture uses two colors of stones and is known for its arches.

another view.

A Mamluk arch.

The less populated side streets of the Muslim Quarter.

A drawing on one of the walls depicting the Dome of the Rock and the black box represents that the person who lives here went on a Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca.

Our last stop was to part of the Christian Quarter. We mainly walked through the bazaar and went to the Church of the Sepulchre. Instead of going in the the Church of the Holy Sepulchre through the main entrance though, we came in through the roof, where there is an Ethiopian Orthodox Church.