The Walls of Jerusalem

Despite barely finishing the last post around 10PM last night, I slept for a few hours and then woke up wide awake at around 230 AM. I did some photo editing and some reading, and was just ready to go back to sleep when the Muslim call to pray started echoing down the alleyways of the Old City. It was really unique- a middle of the night reminder of how far away from home I am.

In the morning, I wondered down to the Jaffa Gate.

This gate is the link between the Old City and West Jerusalem, the newer, modern part of the city. I took a flight of stairs up to the Ramparts Walk, a walk that follows the path of the walls of the old city. The walls as they currently stand are from 1542 when they were rebulit by Suleiman, the Ottoman ruler of the area. The Crusaders had torn down the previous city walls in 1219, when they captured the city.

Today there are two ways to do the Ramparts Walk, from the Jaffa Gate north then east all the way around the north side of the old city to Lions Gate on the West Side of the city. This way was closed today, I'll have to go back and do this Saturday or Monday. The route I took followed a southern than eastern direction, from Jaffa Gate to near Dung Gate, the gate closest to the Western Wall Plaza and Temple Mount.

The above building is the Tower of David in the Citadel. It was closed on Friday, so I did not have a chance to climb the tower. The Citadel contains overlapping pieces of a least seven different cultures who at one time or another controlled this strategic point.

The first part of the walk provided great views over modern West Jerusalem and the Montefiore Windmill.

Rounding the southwest corner of the walls, the Basilica of the Dormition Abbey came into sight. This is a church built on the site where Jesus' mother Mary was reported to have died. Also in the same complex is the Room of the Last Supper.

The southern end of the walk granted amazing views of both the Tyropoeon and Kidron Valleys. The Kidron Valley was especially important in the story of the last week of Jesus' life.

This part of the tour also included sweeping panoramas of The Mount of Olives, my destination Saturday morning.

Finishing the walk, I visited The Western Wall, the most sacred sight in the Jewish faith. This wall comprises the western side of Temple Mount, sight of the first and second temples. This visit was especially moving, see the devout pray with such ferver is stirring, not matter what you believe.