Jerusalem, known worldwide as the Holy City, has been a centre of pilgrimage for well over a thousand years for its seminal position in three of the planet's five major religions. The tiny Old City, just one kilometre square, is the holy of holies for Judaism and Christianity and the third holiest site in Islam. Consequently, the city has seen endless wars, conquests and controversy over the millennia since it was first settled and still continues as a major thorn in the side of Arab nations to this day.
Until the 19th century, the small, walled enclosure and a few Palestinian Arab villages nestled outside the walls comprised the city and all its iconic religious sites. Pilgrims and the curious came and went, and consular officials as well as Jews fleeing the Northern European and Russian pogroms began arriving in increasing numbers, forcing development outside the walled area. Following the Holocaust, the trickle of Jewish refugees became a flood, the wars of independence were fought and won, and the State of Israel was established, reclaiming the heritage of Judaism.
Nowadays, Jerusalem is still a focus for pilgrimages, especially at Christmas and Easter, with the religious joined by countless visitors from across the world fascinated by its unique, iconic history and its breathtaking monuments. The most-visited of all the religious and cultural sites here are the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Holocaust Museum, with many more ancient religious buildings, museums and mysterious holy sites awaiting discovery by first-time visitors staying in Jerusalem city centre hotels. The Old City, its 16th century Ottoman walls and its architectural and spiritual treasures are now a UNESCO World Heritage site, divided into four sectors, the Moslem, Christian, Jewish and Armenian Quarters, all with their separate ways of worship and individual cultures. All Christian and most Jewish sites allow visitors, but the interiors of the great Islamic Dome of the Rock and its adjacent al-Aqsa Mosque are forbidden to non-Muslims. Visitors to all religious monuments are requested to dress respectfully.
Outside the old city walls, newer Jerusalem is also divided into ethnic districts, with the Chareidi Jerusalem sector occupying most of the northwestern area and home to ultra-orthodox or Chareidi Jews. Centred on the older district of Mea Shearim, it's a fascinating district, with its atmosphere somewhat reminiscent of a 19th century Polish or Russian town. Traditional Hassidic clothes are worn by most residents and the Jewish culture of the Diaspora is revered and repeated here. Again, dressing respectably is essential to avoid criticism. Jerusalem's museums are another attraction, with a visit to the superb Israel Museum essential for fell understanding of the historic events which shaped this unique city. The amazing Dead Sea Scrolls are here, along with educational material and over 500,000 artefacts dating from 2000 years before Christ to the present day.
A sightseeing visit to Jerusalem must include the heartbreaking Holocaust Museum, the planet's most comprehensive account of and memorial to the six million victims and those who risked and often lost their lives in attempts to save just a few. Just 10kms from the city is Bethlehem, the legendary birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth and also of one of ancient Israel's most revered kings, David. The Christian community in the town is one of the oldest in the world, with the Church of the Nativity and its Grotto of the Nativity at its heart. Shepherds still watch their flocks on the heights above the town, but many not do so for much longer due to the development of huge West Bank settlements on the grazing grounds.
India public holiday 2013 calendar
Until the 19th century, the small, walled enclosure and a few Palestinian Arab villages nestled outside the walls comprised the city and all its iconic religious sites. Pilgrims and the curious came and went, and consular officials as well as Jews fleeing the Northern European and Russian pogroms began arriving in increasing numbers, forcing development outside the walled area. Following the Holocaust, the trickle of Jewish refugees became a flood, the wars of independence were fought and won, and the State of Israel was established, reclaiming the heritage of Judaism.
Nowadays, Jerusalem is still a focus for pilgrimages, especially at Christmas and Easter, with the religious joined by countless visitors from across the world fascinated by its unique, iconic history and its breathtaking monuments. The most-visited of all the religious and cultural sites here are the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Holocaust Museum, with many more ancient religious buildings, museums and mysterious holy sites awaiting discovery by first-time visitors staying in Jerusalem city centre hotels. The Old City, its 16th century Ottoman walls and its architectural and spiritual treasures are now a UNESCO World Heritage site, divided into four sectors, the Moslem, Christian, Jewish and Armenian Quarters, all with their separate ways of worship and individual cultures. All Christian and most Jewish sites allow visitors, but the interiors of the great Islamic Dome of the Rock and its adjacent al-Aqsa Mosque are forbidden to non-Muslims. Visitors to all religious monuments are requested to dress respectfully.
Outside the old city walls, newer Jerusalem is also divided into ethnic districts, with the Chareidi Jerusalem sector occupying most of the northwestern area and home to ultra-orthodox or Chareidi Jews. Centred on the older district of Mea Shearim, it's a fascinating district, with its atmosphere somewhat reminiscent of a 19th century Polish or Russian town. Traditional Hassidic clothes are worn by most residents and the Jewish culture of the Diaspora is revered and repeated here. Again, dressing respectably is essential to avoid criticism. Jerusalem's museums are another attraction, with a visit to the superb Israel Museum essential for fell understanding of the historic events which shaped this unique city. The amazing Dead Sea Scrolls are here, along with educational material and over 500,000 artefacts dating from 2000 years before Christ to the present day.
A sightseeing visit to Jerusalem must include the heartbreaking Holocaust Museum, the planet's most comprehensive account of and memorial to the six million victims and those who risked and often lost their lives in attempts to save just a few. Just 10kms from the city is Bethlehem, the legendary birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth and also of one of ancient Israel's most revered kings, David. The Christian community in the town is one of the oldest in the world, with the Church of the Nativity and its Grotto of the Nativity at its heart. Shepherds still watch their flocks on the heights above the town, but many not do so for much longer due to the development of huge West Bank settlements on the grazing grounds.
India public holiday 2013 calendar
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