Jerusalem: Sightseeing in the Holy City

The weather in Israel is rather unusual at the moment - chilly, cloudy and rain showers. I had booked a guided tour on the Mount of Olives. It started at the newly built Safra Square were you also find the City Hall. We were a small group of only seven people and had a very dedicated guide who gave us a  lot of information on all kinds of topics concerning Jerusalem. We went to the Damascus Gate where  the Arab Quarter starts. Not far from it runs the old 1967 border between Jordan and Israel. We continued our tour along the city wall which was build 500 years ago. Then we crossed an Arab cemetery to the east of the wall and walked down to the foot of the Mount of Olives were we visited the Christian sites. The highlight for me was the garden of Gethsemane (Hebrew for "oil press") were Jesus went with his disciples to pray the night before he was crucified.
We visited three different churches in this small area, every denomination wanted to leave its traces at this important location. To be honest, to my taste these places are far too religious for me. Religion in my understanding is a system of rules, laws and traditions. External things and the performance of required acts are very important. For me real faith is something different, it's the intimate connection of my heart to the living God who has revealed himself in the Bible and who loves to interact with us.
A large area of the Mount of Olives encompasses the Jewish Cemetery. It is believed that here the resurrection of the dead would begin once the Messiah will appear on the Mount of Olives.
Together with some other tour members from the US, Mexico and Germany I went to the Old City and to the Austrian Hospice were we had Apfelstrudel. On the roof of the Hospice I enjoyed a great view across the old city. Then I went to the Coptic Church to see an ancient cistern in the rock underneath the church. I finished my tour at Christ Church near the Jaffa Gate. Later I had dinner in a nice Vegetarian restaurant.

Jerusalem - the center of the earth

This was the border until 1967, now its a road and the tram route

Damascus Gate

Mount of Olives: Church of All Nations and Gethsemane and on the right the Jewish cemetery

Garden Gethsemane - 900 year old olive tree

city wall and Dome of the Rock from the east

panaroma view from the Austrian Hospice

the ancient cistern underneath the Coptic church

Plaza before the church of holy sepulchre, the Coptic and the Ethiopian church

Arab shuk in the old city

Important Jewish symbol - the rebuilt Hurva Synagoge (destroyed by the Arabs in 1948)

Western Wall - holiest place for the Jews 

David Citadel (houses a great museum about the history of Jerusalem)