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| Jerusalem |
As the sun set on
Jerusalem, the golden Dome of the Rock towering over the Old City glistened in
the night sky. I couldn’t have imagined a more spectacular setting for my
arrival in the Holy City. Church spires, mosques, shrines, synagogues and
ancient fortresses appeared to punctuate the heavens. It was like entering a
secret world.
Sacred to three of
the world’s major religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam, history shrouds
Jerusalem like a mist. As I started to explore, I began to comprehend the
difficulties that have scourged it since time in memorial.
Jerusalem’s Old City
is a place where medieval pushes up against the modern and your senses
immediately become alive.
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| The Old City at night |
Going through the Jaffa Gate, one of the seven that are open – and past the magnificent Citadel, you step into a dense web of narrow alleys that snake through the bustling bazaar. An array of small shops and stalls bursting with tempting goodies ranging from jewellery to oriental carpets to spices wait to tempt you to part with your cash.
Boundaries between
the Old City’s four districts merge although you are aware of cultural
differences. One minute you are in the newly-reconstructed Jewish quarter,
watching Hasidic Jews dressed in black going to pray, the next the Muslim quarter, mingling with Arab matriarchs
doing their daily shop. In the Armenian, the smallest quarter, renowned for the
beautiful St. James Cathedral, you feel as if you are in a city in a city and
in the Christian part, you’ll find yourself rubbing shoulders with pilgrims on
the Via Dolorosa, as they follow the steps of Jesus praying at the Stations of
the Cross. Next to the eighth
station is Lina. Take a break here. It serves, arguably, the best hummus in the
city.
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| The Western Wall |
The sound of hymns being sung in the churches, the sight of Orthodox Jews swaying at the Western Wall, at the foot of the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site and the distant wail of a meuezin calling Muslims to prayer in the city, where according to their faith, Mohammed rose to heaven, all added to the mystique and magic.
I saw a woman from
Uruguay burst into tears at the stone slab at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
where tradition says the body of Jesus was prepared for burial. She told me she
had now fulfilled her lifetime ambition:
being at the place where, according to many Christians, Jesus was crucified, buried and rose again.
Another overcome with
emotion fainted twice. I saw groups of men and women walking around with wooden
crosses. At the women’s section of the Western Wall, while I, like so many
other visitors, wedged a hand-written message in its cracks, I noticed a woman deep
in prayer. That was until her mobile rang. She immediately answered it and
starting talking away. God calling?
My moment of
enlightenment came as I left the Old City through the Damascus Gate. This was
where modernity prevailed. The state-of-the art tram system, contemporary
architecture, a modern shopping mall and amazing hotels and spas were all part
of the new world that greeted me.
In and around Jaffe
Street, the neighbourhood’s bars and restaurants were filled with chatter and
the clatter of glasses echoing through the night air. Although incredibly
buzzy, a sense of calm radiated. Any other place would be dead on a Monday
night, but not Jerusalem. Here the secular and the religious seemed to coexist
in perfect harmony no matter what day of the week.
After dinner, we
sauntered back to the hotel, soaking up the atmosphere. We encountered two
Orhodox Jews busking. A large crowd, of all ages from all walks of life,
gathered round to hear them sing Eric
Clapton’s Tears In Heaven. The words seemed so fitting. I can still hear their
voices.
A holiday romance
was not what I was anticipating but it really was love at first sight.
Jerusalem was a million miles away from I expected it to be. The Holy Land’s
ancient capital, so full of
passion, had captured my
heart. One day, I hope to go back and rekindle my love affair.
By Daralyn Danns
Getting there
Contact the Israeli
Government Tourist Office www.thinkisrael.com or call 0207 299 1100
El Al offers flights
from London Luton to Tel Aviv from £399 or from London Heathrow to Tel Aviv
from £426. To book call 0207 121 1400 or visit www.elal.uk or contact your
travel agent
I stayed at The
David Citadel Hotel, www.thedavidcitadel.com
