Given that this was the view from our Convent rooftop, what do you
suppose the first thing was we determined to visit? That's right. The
Dome of the Rock. (You know, the giant golden dome in the not-too-far distance.)
So how, exactly would you go about getting to said dome? Walk down the street to the left and turn right, said I. Easy. Nothing to it.
Right. NOTHING in the Middle East is as easy as it ought to be. Unless you know what you're doing. And we didn't yet.
This is a basic map of Old City Jerusalem:
The two red stars mark where we started and where we wanted to go. (Upper star: Ecce Homo Convent, Lower right star, Dome of the Rock.)
DAY 1:
This was our intended route. Upon finding the intended portal we were stopped by security. "It is closed." We were told. So we walked a couple more blocks and found another gate into the Temple Mount. Again: "It is closed." No further explanation given. So we thought it must be prayer time and we'd go back later. So we wandered around the Muslim quarter:
And then went back to the gates: "It is closed." Hot dog! We could see people walking around Temple mount. We could see WESTERNERS walking around inside Temple Mount. Were these guards just playing jokes on us?
Okay then. "How (in the heck) does one get into Temple Mount?" We asked a guard. He nonchalantly pointed to his left, shrugged and we started out again.
Now. It is impossible to tell by the map, but the entire middle section of the map is made of Souks (marketplaces, pronounced "SHook") with a zillion million alleyways and zillion little shops. It is not easy to navigate and it goes on, seemingly forever.
So this is (mostly) what we ended up doing on day one. Walking. And walking s'more. We never made it to Temple Mount. But we sure did have fun getting lost. And the next morning we were informed by the very kind ladies at the convent that the entrance to Temple Mount (for visitors) is actually the massive ramp just to the right of the Western Wall.
Day 2: This is the proper route to get to Temple Mount: Walk through the souk to the Western Wall and turn left up the ramp. Yah. That's it.
A word to the wise, my friends, plan on getting gloriously lost in Jerusalem. And just go with it.
So how, exactly would you go about getting to said dome? Walk down the street to the left and turn right, said I. Easy. Nothing to it.
Right. NOTHING in the Middle East is as easy as it ought to be. Unless you know what you're doing. And we didn't yet.
This is a basic map of Old City Jerusalem:
The two red stars mark where we started and where we wanted to go. (Upper star: Ecce Homo Convent, Lower right star, Dome of the Rock.)
DAY 1:
This was our intended route. Upon finding the intended portal we were stopped by security. "It is closed." We were told. So we walked a couple more blocks and found another gate into the Temple Mount. Again: "It is closed." No further explanation given. So we thought it must be prayer time and we'd go back later. So we wandered around the Muslim quarter:
And then went back to the gates: "It is closed." Hot dog! We could see people walking around Temple mount. We could see WESTERNERS walking around inside Temple Mount. Were these guards just playing jokes on us?
Okay then. "How (in the heck) does one get into Temple Mount?" We asked a guard. He nonchalantly pointed to his left, shrugged and we started out again.
Now. It is impossible to tell by the map, but the entire middle section of the map is made of Souks (marketplaces, pronounced "SHook") with a zillion million alleyways and zillion little shops. It is not easy to navigate and it goes on, seemingly forever.
Typical Souk street.
So this is (mostly) what we ended up doing on day one. Walking. And walking s'more. We never made it to Temple Mount. But we sure did have fun getting lost. And the next morning we were informed by the very kind ladies at the convent that the entrance to Temple Mount (for visitors) is actually the massive ramp just to the right of the Western Wall.
Day 2: This is the proper route to get to Temple Mount: Walk through the souk to the Western Wall and turn left up the ramp. Yah. That's it.
Original Map from here: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Michael_Zank/Jerusalem/35.gif
A word to the wise, my friends, plan on getting gloriously lost in Jerusalem. And just go with it.
This cracks me up...go with it. Thanks for the maps.
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