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OLD JERUSALEM
David migdal
Sepulchre church candles
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David migdal
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At the heart of Jerusalem, the Holiest place on Earth and the capital of Israel is the Old City extending over a surface that does not exceed one square kilometer but caries over 3,000 years of History with a capital H. It is a testament of extraordinary achievements, of drama and tragedy that have shaped the western culture probably like no other place in the world.
There are few usual ways to visit the Old City:
The Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish quarter is a true witness of the history of the jewish community in Israel. Destroyed several times since the 18th century and built again for the last time since the 6 Day War after it was blown by the Jordanian army in 1948. The Jewish quarter is very much alive, even during the hard times like the two past years since October 7 and then the Iran war in June 2025, Jews from all over the world keep on coming. Restaurants offering traditional dishes, NY trendy coffee shop, Jewish art, museums, ancient Sepharadic and Ashkenazi synagogues, archeological monumental remains from first Temple time and of course the Western Wall.
The Church of the Holly Sepulchre is considered as the most sacred place for christians worldwide definitely for Catholics and Greek Orthdox christians who both rule the sacred place along with Armenian, Copt and syriac christians, each of those denominations being in charge of one or few cultic spaces inside the church. The church hosts the Golgotha where Jesus was crucified and buried before resurected as mentionned in the Gospel. No matter if you are christian or what denomination you belong to, it is fascinating to see the different christian cultural elements as you walk from one spot to the other among them the Golgotha, catholic and Greek side by side, Helena's Chapel, the Stone of Anointment and of course Jesus Tomb, all that in a unique atmosphere.
The Tomb of David is a fascinating place and opened to all as King David is a reference to three monotheist religion. Of course to the Jewish People as we know him through the story of his life in the Hebrew Bible and to the Jews and christians the Messiah must be a descendant of King David. For the Muslims, David called Daoud, is considered as a prophet. As you enter the complex you will meet Hassidim orthodox Jews praying and others studying the Talmud as the place is hosting today a small synagogue and a Yeshivah. Above the complex is the Last Supper Room where Jesus had his last dinner before he was sentenced to death the day after by the Romans.
The Mount of Olives hosts several churches like Dominus Flevit on the photo left through which one can see the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. This is the place on the Mount of Olives where Jesus overlooking at the Jewish Temple cried as described tragically in the Gospel. The mount of Olives offers an incredible view over the Old City and the oldest huge Jewish cemetary more that 2,000 years old. As we walk down along the cemetary we enter the Church of all Nations in the Gethsemani garden overlooking the Valley of Cidron that Jesus crossed on its way to the Garden where he spent his last night before his trial.
The Temple Mount, the most sacred place in the world to the Jews and one of them to Islam is the most sensitive place in Jerusalem not to say Israel. This is where King Solomon erected the Hebrew Temple to God 3,000 years ago as described in details in the Hebrew Bible. Few hundreds years after its destruction for the second time by the romans the Muslims sanctified the place and built the Dome of the Rock and El Aqsa Mosque. Because of the political sensitivity of the place, access is sometimes prevented for safety reasons but most of the time is is accessible and definitely worthy to visit, as your guide I keep updated all the time. During the tour we will understand the historical theological and political context and enjoy few pieces of Muslim art with emphasis on Mamluk style.
TheWestern Wall called the Kotel in hebrew is the most sacred place for the Jews which remains accessible. This 2,000 years old wall is a true symbol of the hope of generations of Jews who during 2,000 years have prayed to return to Jerusalem repeating each year in psalmody the iconic wish "Next year in Jerusalem". They had to wait until the Six Days War in 1967 to see their ancestral wish come true when the Old City was delivered by IDF forces from the hands of the Jordan Legion. Today people of all nations and all religion seek to touch those old stones and write a wish and stick it between the stones. Hopefully yours will come true...
The Cenacle or Last Supper Room Located on Mount Zion outside the city wall is believed to be the room where Jesus had his last supper, the jewish Passover dinner, with the 12 apostles. The room is part of a complex that includes King David's Tomb and is located upstairs above it. What will strike you when entering the room is a mix of cultures that looks contradictary. Christian architecture reminding the Crusdaders style along with typical muslim elements rise questions. When and why was it built that way? Why above David's Tomb? Is it a christian, jewish or muslim building? These are among the few questions we will answer during the visit of the place.
The Via Dolorosa literally the Way of Suffering also called the Cross Way, is the path taken by Jesus led by the roman soldiers from the trial to the Golgotha where he was crucified to death, today part of the Sepulchre Church. Along the 600 m route are 14 stops, each of which is a station commemorating a specific events that took place during the Passion Friday like the Flagellation, Maria meets his son on the way to his death, each times Jesus fall, meeting with Veronica, Simon from Cyrene and the women from Jerusalem until the crucifixion and death. We usually will go by most of them and all of them you wish so.
And there might be surprises on the way not mentionned
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