While people are falling en masse in love with Tel Aviv, I fell head over heels in love with the “other” city. Typical… I have the tendency to love the second largest city of most countries anyways, however I’m not sure Jerusalem would be marked as such. Historically and culturally there’s much more ado about Jerusalem. This post is dedicated to the city and what to do when you have two days to spend there (my tip would be to stay there longer, but two days is plenty for the major sights).

Day 1: Old City

First things first. The Old City of Jerusalem has historically important sights for the three major religions: the Temple Mount and Western Wall for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians and the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims.

As such, it’s a diverse and incredibly special place to visit for almost everyone.

The Old City is roughly divided into four different quarters: the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Armenian Quarter and the Jewish Quarter.

The current walls of the Old City were built in the 16th century by the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. He provided these walls with six gates. Older gates that were already there before the arrival of the Ottomans where left sealed up as they were. The number of operational gates increased to seven after the addition of the New Gate in the 19th century.

Temple Mount
I really wanted to visit the Temple Mount, but I didn’t because the timings didn’t suit me. For non-Muslim visitors, Temple Mount can be visited Sunday through Thursday: 8:30 – 10:30 am and 1:30 – 2:30 pm. It’s wise to reach there quite early to beat the queues. In light of the dual claims of both Judaism and Islam this is one of the most contested religious sites in the world.

Western Wall
I have to be honest here by admitting I didn’t feel fully at ease at the Western Wall. People take this sight incredibly seriously, and it seems there are less “visitors” here than any of the other places. Men and women are immediately separated at the barriers. Women have to be covered up. If you didn’t bring anything, you can pick up a scarf at the entrance. If you reach the wall itself it’s incredibly hard to witness the emotion that people pour into this wall. I left as quickly as possible because it felt like I was witnessing a private event. One I knew too little about to be fully privy to it.

The Western Wall is considered holy due to its connection to the Temple Mount. The Temple Mount has entry restrictions, which is why the wall is now the holiest place where Jews are allowed to pray. The holiest site in the Jewish faith lies behind it.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre had the same effect on me as the church in Bethlehem. Both these churches made me feel how special it is that I’m able to travel here.

The church contains the holiest sites in Christianity: the site where Jesus was crucified and Jesus’ empty tomb.

What I liked about this church are all the different designations in one building. I never saw Armenian style churches, but I found out I quite like the style, maybe even more than the Greek Orthodox style. However, time will tell because I have yet to visit Armenia to see if this theory holds there.

Via Dolorosa
In itself, Via Dolorosa is a very unremarkable street. However, it’s believed to be the street through which Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion.

I didn’t bring a guidebook so I had no clue what to see here. I stumbled upon a tour group though who stopped in front of a lady’s house who had apparently helped Jesus when she saw him suffering in the street.

I wish I had more situational awareness when I was walking through this street. My tip, bring a guide book to inform you about the area.

This actually holds true for the whole Old Town. There’s so much to learn and understand from different religions and all the different sights. I was travelling with my parents, so I wanted to take it all in rather than focus on learning. Next time I’m there I’m definitely booking this tour to understand the city better.

Day 1: Yad Vashem

The best way to describe Yad Vashem is by saying that it’s a summary of all the holocaust museums of the world. Yad Vashem means “a monument and a name” and it’s Israel’s official memorial to the victim’s of the Holocaust. It also remembers the Jews who fought against the Nazis and the people who selflessly aided the Jews.

The monument was established on the western slope of Mount Herzl in 1953. The complex contains two types facilities. One type of facilities are the research centres, the others are memorials and museums which are accessible to the general public.

The museum contains artefacts from that time period which are incredibly hard-hitting. There are piles and piles of shoes stacked on top of each. It’s easy to imagine the people who used to wear them. Similarly, items like broken glasses which were left behind by their owners when they were taken away can be found here.

The main museum tells the full story of the unfolding of the Second World War, at the end you can find archives of names & faces of the people that were killed.

Don’t miss the Children’s memorial, which commemorates the 1.5 million Jewish children that were murdered. This memorial is located inside a cavern. It’s a real challenge for your senses, but you can’t help but stop to think.

Practical Info: Opening times for the Holocaust History Museum are:
Sunday – Wednesday 08:30-18:00
Thursday 08:30-20:00
Fridays and Holiday eves 0‬8:30-14:00
Entrance to the Holocaust History Museum and all other sites is free.
The following bus lines reach the Mount Herzl bus stop:
10, 16, 20, 23, 24, 26, 26a, 27, 27a, 28, 28a, 29, 33, 25, 39, 150
For more information on bus services, please visit the Egged website.
I took the Light Rail Train from Jaffa Street to the Mount Herzl station (final stop).

Where to stay?

I travelled with my parents so I stayed in a reasonably large apartment with two bedrooms. I find this an ideal way to travel with them since I’m past the age where I want to stay in the same room.

I enjoyed my stay at Golda Vacation Rentals, and I would definitely consider visiting this place again if only because of the person who owns this apartment. We received tailor-made information on what to do in Jerusalem, including help with booking a taxi early in the morning after a national holiday celebration.

What did I miss?

There is plenty to see and do for me if I decide to visit Jerusalem another time. Something that remains high on my list to is a proper visit to the Mahane Yehuda market. I did visit it this time around, but I didn’t benefit from the coupons to taste all the delicious food.

I would also like to learn more about the Jewish Orthodox religion and customs.

Finally, I would like to visit the Israel Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls. It’s something my dad really wanted to go to this time around, but due to the national holiday we were unable to visit it. Luckily, we went to Ein Karem which was a worthy unexpected find.

Conclusion

I hope my post helped you get an idea of what there is to see and do in Jerusalem. I’m expecting there to be a part II in the future, because I don’t think I’m done with the country and region yet. There are some more cities I would like to visit in the Palestinian Territories, like Hebron, but also some more sights I would like to visit in Israel. The Middle East is one of my favourite areas to visit and I don’t think Israel has seen the last of me.