We are in Jerusalem on the next morning. These photos will be out of sequence but before we start our tours inside, I just want to give a sense of the Old City. The core of the Old City dates back more than 3,000 years. The street plan largely dates from the Byzantine times. The monumental defensive walls and city gates were built by the Ottoman Empire in the 1500’s. The Old City has four uneven quarters: the Muslim Quarter, The Christian Quarter, the Armenian Quarter, and the Jewish Quarter.

The Old City is a holy city for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is near the crossroads of three continents and has been one of the most fought over cities in human history. The Old City is only .35 square miles, so actually quite small. The small size gives one the sense of just how important this old city is to so many people.

The first photo is near the Jaffe Gate. I just wanted to give a sense of how imposing the wall is from a pedestrian’s viewpoint.

The Jaffe Gate is ahead of us in the 2nd photo. We exited here once and entered here once.

The next photo shows several things including an example of high domed ceilings on houses, stone walls, and there must be at least fifty churches, chapels, and monasteries within the walls of the Old City.

This is the Gihon Spring. It was the primary water source for residents of ancient Jerusalem. The water was brought uphill under pressure and then tunneled into the Old City.

The Old City is laced with narrow, winding, stone streets and alleyways which also wind up and down the hills.