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3.1.2 Jerusalem
A city with a fourth dimension
If most cities are three-dimensional, then Jerusalem has an added fourth dimension, a spiritual one. Holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians jointly more than one-third of all people on earth the city is special in every sense of the word. Beyond its importance religiously and fascinating walled city, Jerusalem has developed more recently as the capital of modern-day Israel. Jerusalem has to be seen to be believed.
The Old City might only be one-square-kilometer in size but it is this which could perhaps be described as the capital of world religion. The Western Wall, the last remaining wall of the Jewish Temple, is the holiest site in Judaism, and the central focus for Jews on this city; itself is the focal point of the religion. Christ died, was buried and was resurrected in Jerusalem, and the Church of the Sepulchre in the Old city is shared between many denominations. In Islam, Jerusalem is said to be from where Muhammad rose into the heavens, and the Dome of the Rock makes this city the third holiest for Muslims. This selection of holy sites barely scrapes the surface with many of the holiest people of these religions living here, rubbing shoulders as they go about their lives.
Outside the Old City is a modern city, not as liberal as Tel Aviv (forty-five minutes down the road) but established in a cultural sense in a more modest way. Modern culture, cuisine and fashion rub shoulders with tradition, and across even the new city, this special sense is in the air through the law compelling all buildings to be fronted in the golden Jerusalem stone.
The modern city has a number of fascinating museums which no visit to this city would be complete without. Of these, the most important is Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial and place of commemoration for the millions who perished in the Holocaust. Here, the architecture adds an additional dimension to the chilling displays. Just down the road, the Israel Museum, currently undergoing massive renovations, houses, most notably the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as ancient artifacts.
Jerusalem is not all serious however, and the new City of David complex offers fantastic shopping and eating opportunities, with restored areas such as the Old Train Station popular nightlife zones.
Jerusalem is like nowhere else, a city where the old and new jostle for space, as the three religions who call this city holy, do similarly. Known now as the ‘City of Gold’ Jerusalem must be included in all itineraries to Israel whether the focus of the trip is religious or cultural or not, as this city just cannot be missed.
