10/28 | A Trip to the Markets of the Old City

Today, Matt and I decided to go to the Old City because Matt, a graduate student, needed to buy an Arabic-English dictionary for his Arabic class, which starts on Sunday.  We figured we could find cheap books in the Old City instead of the expensive books sold in the campus bookstore.  We left at around 2:00 in the afternoon and took a bus because the light rail had already shut down for shabbat.  Arriving at Damascus Gate, we entered the Muslim Quarter and began our journey through the markets of the Old City.  Here are some pictures from today's journey:

It is comforting to see Israeli flags flying in Arab areas of Jerusalem.  These flags fly over a building located a short walk away from the Damascus Gate entrance.

Monks walking the Via Dolorosa, the path believed to be taken by Jesus as he carried the cross on his way to crucifixion. Surprisingly, a large part of the path is in the Muslim Quarter.

Stores in the Muslim Quarter.  Venders sell every type of souvenir one could imagine.

The Cotton Merchant's Market in the Muslim Quarter leads to a gate on to the Temple Mount.  In a surprisingly unfair move, non-Muslims are prohibited from entering this way.

A store for everything hookah.

We stopped briefly at the Kotel.  This was my first time to the Western Wall in the daytime since I first arrived.

One of the most, if not the most, awe-inspiring sites in the world.  That I can come here whenever I want is still unbelievable to me.  To the right is the bridge to the only gate to the Temple Mount that Jews are allowed to enter through. Rumor has it that this one will be taken down in place of a more permanent structure soon.

More markets in the Christian Quarter.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher where Jesus, or Yeshua in Hebrew, was supposedly crucified and buried.

The end to a great day!

For all of our searching, neither Matt nor I could find an Arabic-English dictionary.  We did, however, have a great time exploring one of the world's greatest wonders.  I even ran into Charlotte, the other American University student, in the Christian Quarter!  The Old City of Jerusalem is a focal point for three faiths (although only Judaism can claim it as its absolute holiest place for some 3000 years and counting).  It is a source of inspiration for anyone who has the privilege to actually experience it in person.  It is not without its flaws--rude shopkeepers, dirty streets, etc.--but for all of its shortcomings, it really is Ear HaKodesh, a Holy City unlike any other in the world.