A Tale Of Two Old Cities: Jerusalem & Bethlehem (Part 1 of 2)

We recently spent a few days in Jerusalem and Bethlehem without any firm sightseeing agenda.  We've been to Jerusalem before but we felt like we were always running from sight to sight.  This time, we wanted to stay for the night (which we hadn't done before), spend some time just soaking in the atmosphere, and let the kids do what interested them.  As for Bethlehem, I've taken several day-trips alone to the West Bank, but I wanted Eden and the kids to cross the "Separation Barrier" and see the other side at least once during our time in Israel.  This post and the next one describe our little trip to these two historic cities (Before we leave for Egypt on December 22, I'll also publish a separate blog post on the Separation Barrier and on touring in the West Bank.)

In Jerusalem, we stayed in the heart of the Old City, right near the Jaffa Gate.  At our children's request, the first thing we did after unloading our luggage was to walk along the Old City ramparts.  The kids had a great time walking slowly ("No racing!"), playing sensibly ("No climbing!"), and admiring the views ("Jeremy, get down from there!").  After descending from the ramparts onto the Old City streets ("Jeremy, wait up!"), we visited the Jerusalem Archeological Park, which highlights Herodian, Byzantine and early Arab ruins at the foot of the Temple Mount.  The impressive ruins (which many tourists overlook) include a 1st century Roman street, an ancient mikvah (ritual bath) that Jewish pilgrims used to purify themselves before entering the Second Temple, and ancient stairs and gates that once led to the Temple.  The kids loved climbing on the rocks (to the extent it was allowed), and watching a short movie (in English) recreating what it was like to visit the Second Temple some 2,000 years ago.  After we left the site, we roamed the crowded streets of the Muslim Quarter in search of a kebab lunch for Jeremy (I ate a delicious felafel sandwich.)  We then closed our first day of sightseeing by climbing the tower of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Christian for some awesome city views, as pictured above and below.

Peace, on the ramparts

Spiderman on the ramparts!

View from the ramparts:  Cemetery, Mount of Olives

View from the ramparts: Jerusalem Archeological Park, Al Aqsa Mosque, and Russian Orthodox church

Pondering history at the Jerusalem Archeological Park

Feeling small at the Jerusalem Archeological Park

Feeling small yet?

Children probably played the same games 2,000 years ago

Ok, you get the picture, but Eden said I had to include a photo of myself

I join the crowd at a felafel stand, while Jeremy dodges traffic (and waits for his kebab)

Talia makes friends in the Old City

Traffic and old architecture in the Muslim Quarter

There's always room for soft-serve ice cream

Vendor in the Muslim Quarter

Want some pomegranate juice?

It's a tough climb, but the view from the top is awesome

View looking east toward Dome of the Rock and Mount of Olives

View looking northwest over Church of the Holy Sepulchre

 Dome of the Rock, with Russian Orthodox church

As nighttime fell over the city, there was an entirely different atmosphere.  The tour groups and the crowds were gone and many of the streets were eerily quiet.  We walked through the Jewish Quarter and went to the Western Wall, where the children put prayer notes into the wall's crevices - Jeremy wishing for world peace and Talia wishing that she and her brother would always love each other (where did that one come from?!).  We popped into the lush garden terraces of the Austrian Hospice for some sacher tort and a couple of beers (and apple juices).  We then went back to our guesthouse to settle into our comfy beds, hoping for a good night's sleep.  But it is the Old City after all - we were awakened by multiple, loud calls to prayer an hour before sunrise.

The Western Wall

Talia in front of the Hurva Synagogue

The Austrian Hospice

So, we got an early start to the next day.  We visited St. Anne's, a 12th century Crusader church next to an impressive set of ancient ruins, including the remains of a Byzantine basilica built over a previous pagan temple and the Pool of Bethesda, a water reservoir dating back to the 8th century BCE.  Unlike many other Crusader buildings in Jerusalem, St. Anne's was not destroyed by the Mamluks but was instead converted into an Islamic seminary.  In the 19th century, the Ottomans gave the site to Napoleon III, in gratitude for France's support during the Crimean War.  The site is currently owned by the French government and makes for a lovely archeological detour.  

We concluded our touring in Jerusalem at the Dome of the Rock.  The kids wanted to see "that Gold building" up close again, and we all wanted another chance to experience the beauty and tranquility of the Temple Mount.  The kids quickly finished their sightseeing and decided that the Temple Mount was a good place to play "freeze dance" (a game where someone sings and the others dance until the music stops and then freeze).  You might think that a mother and two kids dancing to their own music would be out of place at the Dome of the Rock, but it really wasn't so unusual. The kids fit right in with all the local children playing soccer and tag.  (Admittedly, we didn't see any of the head-scarved local mothers doing any dancing.  Their picnics looked great, though.)  Visiting time for non-Muslims is restricted to one hour in the afternoon, but it looked like many Muslim women and children were settling in for long afternoon play-dates.  On a hilltop above the fray of the Old City, surrounded by fresh air, plenty of trees, and broad expanses that make for a great soccer pitch, it was easy to see why.  As we descended from the Temple Mount and melted into the Old City crowds again, we marveled at how much there is to see in such a compact area. 

Arched walkway we passed on the way to St. Anne's

St. Anne's, with Byzantine ruins in the foreground

Underground water cistern at St. Anne's

The ruins at St. Anne's, with houses in the background

At the Dome of the Rock

Dome of the Rock

View looking west from Dome of the Rock plaza

View looking east from Dome of the Rock plaza

So, what was the favorite part of our family time in Jerusalem?  For me and Eden, it was definitely watching our children having fun and enjoying each other's company.

Our trip continues in our next post - see you in Bethlehem!