Jerusalem

  • DSC01827 Our first view of the Old City of Jerusalem.
  • DSC01830 Our driver "forced" us to stop on the Mount of Olives. It provided a great view of the Old City. The Dome of the Rock can be seen in the center.
  • DSC01832 The Golden Gate, one of the few sealed gates, can be seen here. Jewish tradition holds that the Messiah will enter Jerusalem through this gate upon his return.
  • DSC01836 Panoramic view from the Mount of Olives.
  • DSC01838 Mona standing on a street in Jerusalem, heading to the Old City.
  • DSC01840 After spending a few hours wondering around the market, we headed to walk the Walls of Suleyman.
  • DSC01841 Looking out from the crenelation, near the Jaffa Gate.
  • DSC01842 Looking back along the inside of the wall.
  • DSC01843 Looking the other way, toward a much more affluent courtyard.
  • DSC01845 Caught taking a break.
  • DSC01847 Looking over the wall, a view across modern Jerusalem.
  • DSC01848 Looking back from the wall toward the Old City.
  • DSC01853 Another view across the wall, with modern Jerusalem in the distance.
  • DSC01855 Interesting graffiti across the top of a plaque describing the history of the local neighborhood.
  • DSC01856 An elaborate garden in the backyard inside the Old City.
  • DSC01857 Looking down the wall (again).
  • DSC01858 A particularly interesting palm frond.
  • DSC01860 One of the many cats roaming freely. A very common site across the middle east.
  • DSC01862 Another cat roaming the roofs nearby.
  • DSC01863 A pretty plant growing from the wall.
  • DSC01866 Looking across the Old City toward the Dome of the Rock. The roof with the large group of people on the left of the picture is the Austrian Hospice.
  • DSC01868 This photo illustrates how density and chaotic nature of the Old City
  • DSC01876 A raven posed for a nice photo atop a pillar.
  • DSC01878 Plaque describing the Damascus Gate.
  • DSC01879 Another plaque describing the Damascus Gate Plaza.
  • DSC01880 Looking down upon one of the major market areas leading from the Damascus Gate. The crowd was pretty typical, only thinning out when shops started closing around 5:00 pm or so.
  • DSC01881 Looking out toward a small cemetery on a rocky hillside.
  • DSC01884 Another plant growing from the rock.
  • DSC01886 Mona snuck a profile shot while I wasn't watching.
  • DSC01887 An amusing photo of a cat taking a break in a Bobcat.
  • DSC01889 Another angle looking over the Old City toward the Dome of the Rock.
  • DSC01891 Yet another plant growing from the wall. (And I can't keep plants alive in my backyard.)
  • DSC01892 Description of the Stork Tower.
  • DSC01893 Chris standing in a crenelation near the Stork Tower.
  • DSC01897 This is as close to the edge as Mona would get.
  • DSC01898 The Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque (the gray dome in the distance on the left) the minaret for another mosque can be seen in the foreground.
  • DSC01899 Looking from the walls toward the Mount of Olives, the The Russian Orthodox Church of Maria Magdalene can be seen near the center.
  • DSC01900 Looking along the southern wall over a cemetery just outside the Old City.
  • DSC01905 The Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque framed by a crenelation.
  • DSC01909 A street in the Old City. This area was not in the markets, it looked primarily residential.
  • DSC01910 A spice shop displaying an intricate pyramid of spices.
  • DSC01912 Looking down a section of the market.
  • DSC01920 Minbar (the Islamic equivalent to a pulpit or lectern) inside the Dome of the Rock.
  • DSC01923 Inside the Dome of the Rock, looking toward the outer ceiling.
  • DSC01924 Looking toward the dome, and Rock underneath. The interior was under renovation, so scaffolding blocked some of the view.
  • DSC01925 Inside the cave, within the Rock, looking upward.
  • DSC01926 Prayer room in the cave. Note the Dome's most dedicated fan.
  • DSC01929 Back under the Dome, this was a portal allowing people to reach inside and touch the Rock.
  • DSC01938 A close-up view of the Dome of the Rock. The building is intricately tiled and the dome is covered with 80 kilograms of gold.
  • DSC01939 Looking from the Dome of the Rock through an archway to the Al Aqsa Mosque.
  • DSC01951 Looking back up the stairway to the Dome of the Rock.
  • DSC01958 A close-up view of the Western Wall. Jews visiting the wall write prayers on the small slips of paper and place them in crevices hoping they will come true.
  • DSC01961 A broad view of the Western Wall. On the left is a men's section, on the right a women's, the scaffolding on the far right leads to the Moor's Gate to the Temple Mount.
  • DSC01968 Mona standing in front of the Dome of the Rock.
  • DSC01974 The Altar of the Crucifixion in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
  • DSC01978 Looking down at the Stone of Anointing near the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
  • DSC01981 The rotunda in the church of the Holy Sepulchre below which is the Edicule, containing the Tomb of Christ.
  • DSC01982 Entry to the Edicule under the rotunda.
  • DSC01984 Our attempt to visit a synagogue in the Old Ciity was thwarted by time; arriving an hour after it closed for the day.