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Jerusalem, the holy city

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Jerusalem, the holy city

The center of three religions, an impressive walled city and the endless olive hills surrounding it.

Country
🇮🇱 Israel
Region
Middle East
Destination type
Cultural
Best months
February–May, September–November

We spent three days in Jerusalem during our 10-day trip through Israel and Jordan. It was enough to walk every quarter of the Old City, climb the walls and wonder around the hills surrounding the walled town. Jerusalem has so many layers of history and religion that it’s almost impossible to capture it in just a few photos, but here’s out best try.

Damascus Gate on a bright afternoon — Ottoman battlements and a pointed arch above a wide stone plaza where locals and visitors gather on the steps.
Damascus Gate
The Old City walls above a busy road — crenellated limestone on the left, the Mount of Olives cemetery blanketing the hillside beyond.
City walls
A view from the ramparts over densely packed stone rooftops — water tanks, satellite dishes and cypress trees climbing the hills under heavy grey clouds.
Over the wall
The Western Wall plaza from above — worshippers at the ancient limestone face, white chairs and a mechitza dividing the men's and women's sections.
Western Wall
The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount — blue and turquoise tilework, white marble and a golden dome catching the light on an open stone plaza.
Dome of the Rock
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre under a grey sky — weathered limestone, a square bell tower and ornate arched windows above the Christian Quarter.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Mount of Olives cemetery framed through a breach in an ancient wall — rows of pale stone tombs stretching across the hillside toward the city beyond.
Jewish Cemetery
A courtyard on the Via Dolorosa seen through a stone arch — chevron-carved doorway, crosses on the roofline and worn paving stones in the sun.
Via Dolorosa
The Abbey of the Dormition on Mount Zion — a round stone church with a dark conical roof and four corner towers, the modern skyline faint on the horizon.
Abbey of the Dormition
The grave of Oskar Schindler in the Jewish cemetery of the old town.
Grave of Oskar Schindler

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