Jerusalem

Held sacred by three major religions, the Eternal City of Jerusalem is one of the holiest, most complex and most fascinating cities in the world – a place that effervesces with faith, passion and history. The Ark of the Covenant was enshrined, Jesus was crucified, and Muhammad ascended to heaven here. The ancient walled Old City is at the heart of what was held to be the centre of the world. Entered by one of seven gates (an eighth is sealed pending the coming of the Messiah), the Old City of Jerusalem is divided into four quarters: Jewish, Armenian, Christian, and Muslim. Within the walls are some of the most important holy sites of the Christians, Jews and Muslims.

For Christians tracing Christ’s final path along the Via Dolorosa from the courthouse to Golgotha in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is an intensely moving experience. On the Temple Mount, the strikingly beautiful Islamic Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque dominate the Jerusalem skyline. Immediately below is Judaism’s most holy site – the Western (Wailing) Wall. Thousands of worshipers offer prayers, and notes containing wishes are placed into crevices. The list of shrines, tombs, and attractions in this extraordinary 3,000-year-old city is almost infinite.

How can one overlook visiting the room of the Last Supper, seeing the Virgin Mary’s tomb, or viewing the Garden Tomb and Gardens of Gethsemane? Visitors will also relish discovering Jerusalem’s bustling and atmospheric oriental souqs, walking through the Western Wall Tunnels and exploring the City of David – from which the ancient Canaanite city grew. At sunset, there is no better viewpoint over Jerusalem’s domes and spires than from its Ottoman ramparts.

Visiting the New City of Jerusalem is essential if you want a rounded understanding of its people and history. The New City’s plurality is immediately apparent when contrasting the neighbourhoods of Arab Sheikh Jarrah. in East Jerusalem with the German Colony (where a noted European air is present in its fashionable shops and cafes) and the lanes of conservative Ultra-Orthodox Me’a Shearim. At Machane Yehuda, the bustling and atmospheric food market known as ‘The Shuk’, it is possible to mingle among Jerusalem’s diversity and enjoy tasting its rich flavours. West Jerusalem is the modern commercial heart of the city and the location of Israel’s government ministries and parliament – the Knesset. You will also find the Israel Museum here with its stunning collection of artefacts. Star attractions include the Dead Sea Scrolls – the oldest Bible in the world – and a scale model of King Herod’s Second Temple.

Overlooking the city on Mount Herzl are the tombs of Theodore Herzl – the founder of the Zionist movement – along with other Zionist visionaries. The Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum has a beautiful hilltop location and is a striking and highly moving memorial to the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis. Just to the West of the city proper, picturesque Ein Kerem is a village rich in religious history and has a Tuscan feel. Ein Kerem is also famous for being the birthplace of John the Baptist.