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The Old City |
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Surrounded by a wall, the Old City of
Jerusalem is divided into quarters; the Muslim quarter, the Jewish quarter, the
Christian quarter and the Armenian quarter. The Old City homes most of
Jerusalem's religious sites including the Western Wall, Via Dolorosa, Al-Aqsa
Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A walk through the Old City will
immerse you into history, with its ancient stone, narrow passageways, unique
architecture and authentic markets encapsulating the wonder that is Jerusalem. |
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The Church of the Holy Sepulcher |
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Considered as the most important and sacred church in the world, the Church of
the Holy Sepulcher, also known as the Church of the Resurrection is a large
church built on the site where Jesus was crucified and buried and is located in
the Christian quarter of the Old City. Today it also serves as the headquarters
of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. |
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Via Dolorosa
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Latin for Way of Grief or Way of Suffering the Via Dolorosa is believed to be
the path that Jesus took on his way to his crucifixion. Beginning in the Muslim
Quarter and ending in the Christian Quarter, it is called Way of Suffering
because of the hardships Christians believe Jesus had to endure on his journey. |
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The Tower of David
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Also known as the Citadel of Jerusalem, the Tower of David has been a landmark
of the city since ancient times. Located just south of the Jaffa Gate, it is
higher than any other point in the Old City and over the course of history has
protected Jerusalem from the west. Today, the Tower of David functions as a
museum of the history of Jerusalem after many years of being solely used for
military use. |
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The Western Wall
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As the only remaining wall of the second temple built by Herod the Great in the
1st century BC, the Western Wall, also known as The Wailing Wall has become a
place that Jews from all over the world gather to pray. Considered the holiest
Jewish site in the world it is the renowned symbol of the Old City and it is a
Jewish belief that the Holy Presence remains there still. |
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The Rockefeller Museum
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This archaeological museum, which opened in 1938 houses an extraordinary
collection of antiquities unearthed in excavations conducted in Israel, mainly
during the time of the British Mandate (1919-1948). Situated in East Jerusalem
in a splendid white limestone construction, you can browse amongst the
thousands of artifacts ranging from prehistoric times to the Ottoman period. |
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The Cardo
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Part of the Old City's Jewish quarter, the Cardo is the reconstructed main
street of Byzantine Jerusalem from the 6th century. One part of it is now a
restored arcade of Jewish galleries and shops. This incredible walk through
history gives a genuine look at life then, one section even displaying an
underground level surface of remnants from the time of the first and second
temple (10th and 1st centuries BC). |
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The Museum for Islamic Art
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Here you can view one of the foremost collections of
Islamic art and antique watches and clocks, including some of the greatest
technological innovations in modern watch-making. The museumג€™s permanent
collections constitute one of the most important exhibitions of Islamic art in
the world. |
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The Jerusalem Centre for Performing Arts |
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Located in central Jerusalem this beautifully designed
modern complex plays host to top local and foreign productions, giving more
than 150 orchestral and chamber-music concerts and recitals each year. It is
also home to the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. |
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The Israel Museum |
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As the largest cultural institution in the State of
Israel, the Israel Museum is ranked among the leading art and archaeology
museums in the world. Founded in 1965, the museum houses the most extensive
holdings of biblical and Holy Land archaeology in the world, one of its most
treasured jewels being the Dead Sea Scrolls. In just 40 years the museum has
built a collection of nearly 500,000 objects, the most recent and exciting
addition being the Second Temple Era model of Jerusalem. It is a definite
must-see when visiting the city. |