Old City

Kent and I spent a half-day in the Old City today. We decided to take the bus instead of driving. We walked out of the lower entrance at the Center and down a short ways to a bus stop. Bus 75. This is where we got off - close to Herod's Gate.

This is looking back towards Herod's Gate. This is a really nice area of the Muslim quarter - and we haven't ever been able to use this gate until now. It was fun to go a new way.

These 2 houses are sharing the fact that someone in the family has made the Haj to Mecca. They are across the street from each other.

 

This bread is really yummy, but only if you dip it in a powdery spice called Zatar! :)

Kent's favorite buildings in the Old City are from the Mamaluke period - Turkish. They really are lovely.

The colors are soft pinks and grays.

 There is usually a Fleur de lis in the entry way somewhere. We really liked the hanging lamp too!

 Me looking up at the arch/dome over the door.

 Here's what I'm looking at:

 Look at the guy carrying his pita board on his head!

 Street scenes:

There are little chapels and monasteries and convents throughout the Old City. This is the Sisters of Zion convent. The arch below the gold dome is a roman arch/gate from a previous wall.

Somewhere we stopped for lunch - falafels, of course!

 We went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - I'm really coming to love that place! We actually got to go inside the sepulchre itself!! Usually the line is SO long we don't want to wait. We hit it right at the right time. This is the dome over the sepulchre:

These surround the entrance into the sepulchre:

Main entrance

This is the first room inside the sepulchre:

The stone inside the case is believed to be a piece of the rolling stone that sealed Christ's tomb

 This is a close up the the entrance to the tomb itself:

 The marble slab is covering the tomb

The next 2 pictures are what surrounds the tomb:

 I think I've told you before that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre isn't owned buy just 1 church. There are chapels of various sizes throughout the entire building. The pictures below are from the biggest one - a Greek Orthodox cathedral:

These crosses were carved by Armenian pilgrims. They are all along the walls going down the stair to the Armenian chapel in the basement

This is the Armenian chapel

This is in the lowest basement, below the Armenian chapel. It is a Catholic chapel honoring the place where Queen Helena found pieces of the cross

 This is looking back up the stairs

 This is the square and entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

 We did some shopping before we came home.

Fruit

 

A WELCOME mat - yes it says Welcome

Valentine's decorations - on the mirror in the entryway

At our front door

Tomorrow - more Jordan :)