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Jerusalem

Jerusalem (Hebrew: ירושלים Yerushalayim, Arabic: القدس al-Quds) is the largest city of Israel. Israel claim it is their capital and a few countries including the United States recognize that claim, but most other countries and the United Nations do not.

The ancient city in the Judean Hills has a fascinating history spanning thousands of years. The city is holy to the three monotheistic religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and serves as a spiritual, religious, and cultural center. Due to the religious significance of the city, and in particular the many sites of the Old City area, Jerusalem is one of the main tourist destinations in Israel. Jerusalem has many historic, archeological and cultural sites, along with vibrant and crowded shopping centers, cafes, and restaurants.

Jerusalem of Gold, as it has come to be known in Hebrew, is a fascinatingly unique place where the first century rubs shoulders with the twenty-first century, each jostling for legitimacy and space, and where picturesque "old" neighborhoods nestle against glistening office towers and high-rise apartments. It is one of those places that have to be seen to be believed.

Understand
"It is the land of the Resurrection and the Gathering. Go and pray there, for one prayer there is like one thousand prayers elsewhere."

- Sunan Ibn Majah

Located in the Judean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea, Jerusalem is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is the holiest city in Judaism and Christianity, having been the spiritual center of the Jewish people since the 10th century BCE, and the third-holiest in Islam. It has a history of nearly 4000 years, and has been fought over and conquered countless times in that period. While the city began to have a Jewish plurality in the late 19th century, today a wide range of national, religious, and socioeconomic groups are represented here. During the Jordanian occupation 1949-1967 all Jews in East Jerusalem were expelled and entry was barred for Israeli citizens of any faith and even today there tend to be more Muslims in east Jerusalem and more Jews in West Jerusalem.

The walled area of Jerusalem, which until the 1860s formed the entire city, is now called the Old City, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. It consists of four ethnic and religious sections—the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters. Barely one square kilometer, the Old City is home to Jerusalem's most important and contested religious sites - the Western Wall and Temple Mount for Jews, the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians.

Surrounding the Old City are more modern areas of Jerusalem. The civic and cultural center of modern Israel is in western Jerusalem, while Arab neighborhoods can be found in the east. Jerusalem became Israel's capital upon its independence. The city was reunited after the 1967 War when Israel captured East Jerusalem. Nowadays there is no visible sign of the pre-1967 border, but Jewish and Arab neighborhoods are still generally separate.

History
"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning."

- Psalm 137:5, King James Version

Archaeological findings show development within present-day Jerusalem as far back as the 4th millennium BCE, but the earliest written records of the city come in the Execration Texts (c. 19th century BCE) and the Amarna letters (c. 14th century BCE). According to Biblical accounts, the Jebusites (a Canaanite tribe) inhabited Jerusalem until c. 1000 BCE, at which point the Israelites (led by King David) conquered the city, establishing it as the capital of the Kingdom of Israel. Throughout this period, Jerusalem was located in what is now known as the "City of David", just outside the current Old City walls to the southeast, where a large natural spring is located.

According to the Bible, after David died, his son Solomon built the first of two Holy Temples. The temples were north of the City of David, on a site underneath or very close to the current Dome of the Rock. Upon Solomon's death the kingdom split in two (though many historians contend that the two Israelite kingdoms were never united to begin with). The ten northern tribes became known as the Kingdom of Israel, while Jerusalem remained the capital of the southern Kingdom of Judah, ruled by David and Solomon's descendants. After the Assyrian conquest of the Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE, Jerusalem was the center of the only remaining Israelite/Jewish kingdom. In 586 BCE, the Babylonians conquered the Kingdom of Judah including Jerusalem, destroying the temple and exiling many of the inhabitants.

In 538 BCE, the Persian King Cyrus the Great allowed the Jews to return to Judah and Jerusalem. The rebuilt (Second) Temple was completed in 516 BCE. Jerusalem regained its status as capital of Judah and center of Jewish worship for nearly six centuries. Jerusalem would remain under Persian control until the conquest by Alexander when it would come under Greek (first Ptolemaic, later Seleucid) control. In the second century BCE, the Hasmonean family led a successful rebellion against the Seleucid Greek rulers of Judea, establishing an independent Jewish state which lasted over 100 years. This era is described in the deuterocanonical book of Maccabbees and an event during the recapture of Jerusalem is the basis of the celebration of Hannukkah. In about 19 BCE, Herod the Great (a Jewish client king under Roman rule) vastly expanded the temple area by building retaining walls to support a flat rectangular platform around the temple site. One of these retaining walls survives to this day as the Western Wall, and the platform survives as the Temple Mount.

The Great Jewish Revolt against Roman rule broke out in 66 CE. Its failure resulted in the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. A second failed revolt (132-136 CE, led by Simon Bar Kochba) led to Jews being banned from entering Jerusalem, a policy which continued for most of the time until the Muslim conquest.

For the following five centuries, the city remained under Roman/Byzantine rule. Under Emperor Constantine I in the 4th century, Jerusalem became a center for Christianity, with the construction of sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Muslim forces conquered Jerusalem in the year 638. According to tradition, their leader Caliph Umar visited Jerusalem and established the Temple site as a place of prayer. By the end of the 7th century, a subsequent caliph, Abd al-Malik, had commissioned the construction of the Dome of the Rock on this spot, as well as al-Aqsa Mosque on the southern edge of the Temple Mount. Muslim traditions vary about whether Muhammad's flight to heaven was from the Dome of the Rock or from al-Aqsa.

In the four hundred years that followed, Jerusalem's prominence diminished as Muslim powers in the region jockeyed for control. In 1099 the First Crusade captured Jerusalem. The crusaders killed almost all Jews still living in the Holy Land as well as a large portion of the Muslims. Immigration from Europe only partially compensated for this loss in population as many crusaders left after the fighting was over. The Knights Templar were established in Jerusalem and had their official headquarters on the Temple Mount. The Muslim ruler Saladin reconquered Jerusalem in 1187, but between 1228 and 1244, it was given by Saladin's descendant al-Kamil to the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Jerusalem fell again in 1244 to the Khawarizmi Turks, who in 1260 were replaced by the Egyptian Mamelukes. In 1517, Jerusalem fell to the Ottoman Turks, who then controlled the Holy Land until the First World War. The current Old City walls were built by the Ottomans shortly after 1517.

In the 1860s, new neighborhoods were built outside the walls for the first time. This expansion of Jerusalem was fueled both by general urbanization and by immigration, as Jews and Muslims and to a lesser extent Christians came to Jerusalem for its spiritual and cultural significance. By the late 19th century, Jerusalem had a Jewish plurality. The 19th century also saw a weakening of the Ottoman Empire, and major European powers like France and Russia tried to play the role of "Guardian of the Holy Sites" and protector of both the local Christians and pilgrimage. One consequence of those power struggles was the Crimean War, another a seemingly fragile "status quo" regarding the Christian Holy Sites that while sometimes seemingly ridiculous (one stipulation is that a certain ladder must not be moved) has nonetheless kept conflicts to a minimum and allowed pilgrimages to occur surprisingly smoothly despite all the political turmoil the region experiences.

In 1917, the British Army captured the city. The League of Nations, through its 1922 ratification of the Balfour Declaration, entrusted the United Kingdom to administer the Mandate of Palestine as a Jewish national home. The period of the Mandate saw the construction of new garden suburbs in the western and northern parts of the city, and the establishment of institutions of higher learning such as the Hebrew University.

As the British Mandate of Palestine was expiring, the 1947 UN Partition Plan recommended "the creation of a special international regime in the City of Jerusalem, constituting it as a corpus separatum under the administration of the United Nations." However, this plan was rejected by the Arabs. At the end of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Jerusalem found itself divided between Israel and Jordan (then known as Transjordan). The ceasefire line established through the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and Jordan cut through the center of the city. In 1949, west Jerusalem became Israel's capital. After the 1967 war, all of Jerusalem was claimed by Israel as its capital. Israel has since annexed the entirety of East Jerusalem and treats it as part of its territory and distinct from the West Bank (though few other countries accept this annexation). Arab residents of East Jerusalem can apply for Israeli citizenship, but for various reasons few have actually made use of that option.

Demographics
Jerusalem's population of around 800,000 is about 62% Jewish, 35% Muslim, 2% Christian, and 1% other. Neighborhoods tend to be overwhelmingly Jewish or Muslim; there are few really mixed neighborhoods, though many neighborhoods have a small minority of people from other religions. However, it is common for people of all religions to meet in the workplace. The Jewish population is a mix of cultures, with many immigrants from the former USSR, North Africa, Iraq, Eastern Europe, the US, and other places. Due to Jerusalem's religious significance, clergy and laypeople from many groups have moved to Jerusalem and continue to do so. A notable past example were the Temple Society, a group of German Pietists who were expelled before World War II but whose "German colony" still stands.

Jerusalem is generally regarded by Israelis to be a conservative and religious city, in contrast to liberal Tel Aviv. Compared especially to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem is noted for its large number of religious Jews, ranging from Conservative Jews to the Haredim ('ultra-Orthodox'). Haredim also tend to self-segregate for various reasons and you'll find most of them in a few overwhelmingly Haredi neighborhoods.

The demographic history of Jerusalem over the last two hundred years is interesting and somewhat contentious. Jerusalem became a plurality Jewish city in the 19th century, and was a majority Jewish city throughout the British Mandate. However, then as now many Jerusalem Jews were Haredi and rejected Zionism. The 1948 war led to the forced displacement of all Jews (Zionist or not, immigrant or rooted in the area for centuries) from East Jerusalem and the Old City, including the historic Jewish quarter. From 1948-1967 the Jordanian government prohibited Jews from living in East Jerusalem and tried to erase traces of the Jewish past. Some Jews who have settled in East Jerusalem since 1967 see their actions thus as nothing but a "return" after the forced absence under Jordanian control. Arabs (whether Chrisitian or Muslim) living in East Jerusalem in 1967 were given a status as permanent residents and an option to acquire Israeli citizenship should they want it. However, most have rejected Israeli citizenship for various reasons.

Climate
Located near the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Jerusalem has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Due to its relatively high elevation (600 m-800 m above sea level) Jerusalem's air is less humid and more pleasant than in most other parts of Israel.

Winters are often wet, with nearly all of Jerusalem's annual 590 mm (23 in) of precipitation occurring between October and April. However, in between the rainy days there are numerous clear and sunny days. The coldest month is January, with an average high of 12 °C (53 °F) and an average low of 4 °C (39 °F). Sub-freezing temperatures are rare, but do happen, and the city will get occasional snowfall during the winter, though it usually only lasts a matter of hours rather than days. Once every few years, the city will experience significant accumulating snow.

Summers are hot and dry as a bone with virtually no rainfall between the months of May and September. Temperatures will generally approach around 30 °C (88 °F) during the day and cool to around 15 °C (59 °F) at night. Being near the desert, there is often a big difference between the day and night temperatures, and even the hottest days can turn into chilly nights. Spring and fall are mild, with minimal rainfall and pleasant temperatures, though heat-waves are not unheard of. Most evenings and nights are quite windy and long pants and a shirt are recommended.

Talk
The main languages spoken in Jerusalem are Hebrew in West Jerusalem and Arabic in East Jerusalem. Remember that Hebrew and Arabic are written from right to left. Some Haredi (ultra Orthodox) Jews speak Yiddish in daily lives, in part because they see using Hebrew for mundane things as blasphemous.

There is a significant number of Jews speaking Russian or French. Smaller groups of Jews speak Dutch and Spanish. It is not uncommon to see signs in Russian or hear Russian language radio.

Most people throughout the city speak sufficient English for communication. In particular, English is widely spoken in areas most visited by tourists, especially the Old City. Typically, even if you do not find an English speaker on first attempt, one will be nearby. Inhabitants of Jerusalem of (almost) any background are always ready to help out tourists with the language as with other needs.

Ben Gurion Airport
Israel's main entry point for the international traveler,, is next to the highway linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (Highway 1). Travel from the airport to the center of Jerusalem takes 40–50 minutes, or more if there is traffic.

 * By train - A train line from the airport to Jerusalem opened in 2018. See "By train" below.

 * By bus - Route 485 (Afikim) runs between the airport terminal and Jerusalem. As of November 2022, it only runs on late Thursday nights/Friday mornings (previously it ran 24/6 excluding Shabbat), and one can expect that the 485 will be eliminated entirely once the current train construction project finishes. The 485 runs nonstop from the airport to the Jerusalem central bus station, then makes a few more stops in the Knesset/museums area. It departs hourly, on the hour, in both directions, and costs ₪16 (you pay the driver when boarding). After getting off in Jerusalem, you can take the local bus, light rail, or taxi to your final destination. The bus stop towards the airport is on, just outside the central bus station, 100–150 m east of the main bus station exit.

 * The old bus option, which is not recommended for first-time visitors due to its complexity, but may save you a little time if you just missed the train or if it's close to Shabbat and there are no trains: Take bus #5, #13, or #239 to "Tzomet El Al" (El Al road junction), then bus #947 to Jerusalem's central bus station. To get to the airport, reverse this. In either case, tell the first bus driver your final destination, to get a cheaper combined ticket. You may ask the driver to announce where to change buses. One ticket for the whole way costs around ₪22, as of March 2016. Check the schedules of buses #5/13/239 and #947 before attempting this.

 * By taxi - The official Jerusalem-airport taxi price is around ₪250 during the day, ₪300 late at night. You might be able to find a driver for somewhat cheaper, but chances are they will drive recklessly. If you order in advance, companies like Daka 99 may offer rates as low as ₪160. Your taxi driver may either take Highway 1 or road 443 (which goes through the West Bank).
 * By shuttle - The 'Nesher' shared taxi service (+972 2 623 1231 - Hebrew and English) is a 10-seat minibus that runs approximately hourly services to/from the airport, 24/7. Fare is around ₪70 one way per person. From the airport, the shuttle waits on the curb outside the Terminal 3 arrival hall - follow signage to the Jerusalem shuttle. The shuttle departs when full, and will take you to the address of your choice in Jerusalem. Going to the airport, you must reserve your seat in advance by phone. Be on time for the pickup — they don't wait. Nesher is known for rude customer service, and for a long nauseating ride as the other 9 passengers are dropped off at their addresses before you (you always seem to be last!). Keep in mind that it is quicker, more comfortable, and usually cheaper to take the 485 bus, and a local taxi between the bus station and your hotel.

Notes:
 * Some Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem are seen as "no go zones" by Israeli Jews, and some taxi drivers, including shared taxis, may hesitate or even refuse to take you to these destinations. You should understand that it is only because they genuinely fear for their own safety. If you have a hard time finding a taxi to East Jerusalem, take a taxi from the airport to the Jerusalem central bus station, and there switch to a local taxi.
 * Taxi drivers, including shared taxis, have been known to overcharge or shortchange, so check the price before boarding, and check your change when it is handed back to you.
 * Buses and trains do not run on Shabbat (Friday evening to Saturday night). Taxis and the Nesher shuttle operate, but might charge you extra due to Shabbat time. Hitch-hiking via "Tzomet El Al" (El Al road junction) and north around the airport can be an option on Shabbat.

Atarot Airport, in northern Jerusalem close to Ramallah, has been closed since 2001, yet some maps and signs still point to it.

By train
In general, see rail.co.il for fares and timetables.

From Israel

Bus services to Jerusalem from Ben Gurion International Airport and most Israeli cities are frequent, cheap, and efficient. Egged is almost the only operator of intercity buses to and from Jerusalem, as well as the entire urban network. To check on these services look at its website or dial *2800 from any phone. The 485 bus from the airport is operated by Afikim.

Two Egged bus routes connect Tel Aviv to the Jerusalem CBS. Route 405 leaves the Tel Aviv CBS about every 20 min from 05:50–00:00. Route 480 leaves the Arlozorov station (the central train station) about every 10 minutes from 05:50–12:10. Each route takes about an hour and costs ₪16.

From the CBS it is a long but enjoyable walk (or short light rail ride) along Jaffa Road to the center of West Jerusalem and further on to the Old City. When exiting the CBS, turn left to walk towards the city, or turn right to find the city buses. (Finding your way when you leave the CBS for the first time can be a confusing experience, since there are almost no city maps around. There should be maps of the area within each bus shelter outside the station.) Note that buses do not run on Shabbat—from half an hour before sunset on Friday till after sunset on Saturday. Hours vary by the time of year. In December (winter solstice) Shabbat starts as early as 15:55 and ends at 17:15 the next day, while in June (summer solstice) Shabbat starts as late as 19:10 and ends at 20:30.

Direct buses are also available from Haifa, Beer Sheva, Netanya, Eilat, the Dead Sea and other destinations.

From the West Bank
The main bus station connecting Jerusalem to the Palestinian cities in the West Bank is just north of the Damascus Gate of the Old City, in East Jerusalem. There are three different bus terminals there: HaNeviim station, Nablus Road station and Sultan Suleiman station.

Regular regional buses from/to Ramallah (bus 218, ₪8, 45 min) and Bethlehem (bus 231 or 124, ₪6.80, 30 min) go via HaNeviim station, as well as buses from/to Hebron. For Jericho, Bus 36 or 63 (₪6.80, 20 min) to/from HaNeviim station go through east of Jerusalem, a town also identified with Bethany (from the New Testament). Here you interchange from/to a sherut van from/to Jericho (₪10-12, 30 min). Alternatively, bus 263 (₪6.80) to/from the Sultan Sulliman Terminal will stop at this interchange junction too. For more information on the Arab bus stations, see the East Jerusalem article. These buses are colored mostly in blue strips.

All buses from the Israeli parts of the West Bank (e.g., the Dead Sea, Judaean Desert, Shiloh and the Jewish Quarter of Hebron) go to the central bus station in West Jerusalem.

By shared taxi
On the Sabbath, and very late at night, your only option other than a private taxi is a sherut (shared taxi). These depart from Tel Aviv's Central Bus Station and Ben Gurion Airport, and charge a small surcharge on top of the normal bus fare. As of mid-2012 a sherut costs ₪23 (₪28 at night, ₪33 at Shabbat) and drops you off downtown, not far from Zion Square. There are no Israeli sherut lines within Jerusalem (unlike most Israeli cities). But there are sherut lines to Tel Aviv and Beit Shemesh as well as the airport.

Shared taxis are also the best option if travelling between Jerusalem and Palestinian cities in the West Bank, especially Ramallah and Bethlehem. These leave from near the East Jerusalem bus terminals outside the Damascus Gate. There is a shared taxi direct to/from the Allenby bridge (The border crossing with Jordan), for (Feb 2019) ₪42 plus ₪5 per luggage or 10 JD for 1 seat plus 1 luggage (picking up from Al-Souq Al-Tijaree "The commercial souq" not far away from the main bus station). All Palestinian shared taxis are very cheap, ₪5.00 for the surrounding villages, ₪5.50 for Abu-Dis and ₪6.50 for Ramallah.

Get around
Getting around Jerusalem used to be tricky time consuming and frustrating as the terrain and age of the city left clogged roads unable to handle modern population numbers. The building of the light rail line has mitigated this but where the light rail doesn't go the going may still be slow.

By taxi
Cabs are plentiful in the city of gold. You can probably flag one down quickly by walking to the nearest busy street. Just in case this doesn't work, it is good to have the number of a cab company ready, or to install the Gett smartphone app.

Be warned as the drivers may try to rip you off by "taking the scenic route" or charging a fixed price instead of on the meter. Insist that the driver turns on the meter (moneh) and you should have no problems. If the driver will not activate the meter, get out and take a different one. If you have the meter on, cabs are relatively cheap.

Note that a private taxi is called "moneet" in Hebrew, and "taxi" by Arabs. Both differ from the shared taxi ("sherut" or "servees"), which runs fixed routes for many people like a bus. However, unlike buses sherut do not take rav-kav.

By car
Driving a car in Jerusalem is not recommended. In the central areas (roughly between the Central Bus Station and the Old City), the main streets are mostly reserved for public transportation, and the streets cars can go on are narrow and very confusing to navigate. Then, when you reach your destination, there will be no place to park your car. Elsewhere in the city, it is easy to drive, but still hard to find parking. If you can't use public transportation, taxis are probably a better option than cars.

If you insist on visiting the Old City by car, park in the Karta garage in Mamilla, close to Jaffa Gate. Only Old City residents are allowed to drive into the Old City.

By light rail

The Jerusalem Light Rail line opened in 2011. It links the north-eastern neighborhoods to the south-western neighborhoods, runs along the western side of the Old City, and passes through the city center. There are plans to construct additional lines. Its opening after long delays and controversy (not least because it crosses the 1949 armistice line) was a godsend for transportation in the city and where it does go, it is easily the best option.

The light rail runs past many areas of interest to tourists. Listed from east to west:
 * the Old City (Damascus Gate and City Hall stations)
 * the West Jerusalem city center - King George and Ben Yehuda streets (Jaffa Center station)
 * the Mahaneh Yehuda market (Mahane Yehuda station)
 * the Central Bus Station (Central Station)
 * Mount Herzl and Yad Vashem (Mount Herzl station)

The ticket price is the same as bus fare (₪5.9) with free transfers between them. When you get on, tap your Rav-kav card against the reader and make sure a green light is displayed.

The light rail runs from about 05:30 to midnight. Its frequency is every 6 minutes during the day and less often at night. Like buses, it does not run on the Sabbath.

By bus
Buses are the main form of public transportation in areas not served by the light rail. Jewish and Arab bus companies run separate bus networks in Jerusalem, serving Jewish and Arab neighborhoods respectively, although there is some overlap.

The Arab bus network, in East Jerusalem, is run by Al-Safariat Al-Mowahadda ("The united traveling service"). It mainly consists of lines running radially to Arab neighborhoods from two bus stations near Damascus Gate.

The Jewish bus network is run by three bus companies, which are:

 * "Egged", which serves the southern parts Jerusalem along with some lines in the northern parts of Jerusalem,
 * "Superbus", which operates the trunk lines, and
 * "Extra", which serves the northern parts of Jerusalem.

It serves everywhere in West Jerusalem, as well as the Old City and Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. It is more useful for tourists, and also easier to get information about. Unlike Arab buses, its fare is integrated with the light rail (one ticket will get you unlimited rides on bus and light rail for 90 minutes after your first boarding). Also unlike Arab buses, Jewish buses do not operate on the Sabbath.

Most routes run every 15–20 minutes or better. City buses have a fixed fare of ₪5.9, paid upon boarding. Keep your receipt as proof of payment in case of inspection.

You must use "Rav Kav" for payment. Note, you can't pay the driver.

On foot
While Jerusalem is built in a mountainous area, the central areas of the city are rather flat and very walkable. Due to the altitude, the humidity level of Jerusalem is much lower than most cities in Israel, making walking quite pleasant. The Old City has to be toured by foot, not only because it is more impressive this way, but also because its narrow lanes and alleyways are mostly inaccessible to cars.

By bike
Jerusalem has bike paths, but the rights of cyclists are not always respected: you will frequently find bike paths blocked, and drivers will expect cyclists to give right of way, though they will not intentionally harm you if you force the right of way.

Bike rentals are available at the Abraham Hostel (67 Hanevi'im, Davidka square), as well as at Bilu Bikes (7 Bilu), among other places.

A bike sharing program called Jerufun, including both regular and e-bikes, exists in the city. There are various subscription options as well as one-time rental. The program has fairly good coverage in Western Jerusalem.

See
Jerusalem has an amazing array of attractions for the traveler to see. The following are some of the must-sees. For more attractions see individual district articles.

Old City
The Old City is the atmospheric historical core of Jerusalem, surrounded by Ottoman period walls, filled with sites of massive religious significance and a bustling approach to life. (Please note that some sites, particularly Islamic ones, may bar members of other religions from entry or praying on the grounds.)

The most iconic site in Jerusalem is the Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary, which is holiest site in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam. Jews all around the world usually face the Temple Mount when they pray. It is crowned by the magnificent gold-and-blue Dome of the Rock, which stands on the site of the ancient Jewish Temples. It also includes the Al-Aqsa Mosque (The Far Mosque), from where the Muslim prophet Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven.

 * The Western Wall (Jewish) is a retaining wall of the Temple Mount, built 2000 years ago. It is the closest place Jews can go to the site of the Temple, so for hundreds of years it has been a destination for prayer, and for placing notes with prayers in the cracks between the wall's stones.
 * Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Christian). At the end of the Via Dolorosa (Way of the sorrows) in the Christian quarter of the Old City. It is the holiest site in the world for Christians. The first church on the site was built by Queen Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine, the Holy Sepulchre is Jerusalem's number 1 site for Christian pilgrims and is consequently horribly crowded. Expect to queue for an hour or more to enter the tiny tomb chamber.
 * The Jewish Quarter was completely re-built in 1969 after it came under Israeli control in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It still holds many ancient masterpieces such as the Hezekiah's wall (700 BCE), Burnt House (70 CE), Cardo (550 CE), and Western Wall. At the Western Wall plaza you will find The Western Wall Tunnel and the Chain of Generations center. The nearby archaeological park Davidson Centre (the Ophel) is also interesting. Inside the quarter are The Hurba Synagogue, the largest synagogue in the old city, and The Herodian Quarter museum.
 * Via Dolorosa - passing through Bethesda (crusader church and Roman excavations), Franciscan Archaeological Museum and Les Seurs de Sion Monastery with its underground Roman Street
 * Damascus Gate is the most elaborate gate. The vegetable market borders it. It is also near Jaafar, a renowned Jerusalem sweets store. Just outside Damascus Gate you can visit the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum as well as The Garden Tomb and The Tomb of the Kings
 * Murestan Square with the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
 * The Armenian Cathedral and Museum
 * Maronite Church

East Jerusalem
Jerusalem's exact boundaries have varied over the ages. Some of the most historic important sites are located just outside the current city walls in East Jerusalem, including all sites from the time of King David and earlier.

 * City of David – On the south-east corner of the old city, is an archeological site from the time of King David. The water Hezekiah's Tunnel was built by the Biblical King Hezekiah which you can now walk through, is accessed from here.
 * The Garden Tomb on Nablus Road, East Jerusalem marks what many believe is the location of Calvary and the tomb of Jesus. The tomb is located in a lush big garden which is a good break away from the hustle and bustle of East Jerusalem. Must do, but only open in the afternoons.
 * Mount of Olives with numerous monuments including: Kidron Valley Monuments, Maria's Tomb, The Ascension Chapel, Domini Flevit Church, Church of All Nations, Tombs of the Prophets, Jewish Cemetery, Pater Noster Church, The Muscoviya. The Mount of Olives also has probably the best view of the Old City from the outside. Christians believe that this was where Jesus ascended to Heaven, and where he will return to Earth during the End Times.
 * Mount Zion with several monuments including: Hagia Maria Sion Abbey (Dormition Church), Schindler's Tomb, Chamber of the Holocaust (Martef HaShoah), David's Tomb and Room of the Last Supper

West Jerusalem

 * Mount Herzl, the burial place of Theodor Herzl and four of Israel's prime ministers, with a museum about Herzl's life; national ceremonies are held here.
 * Mahane Yehuda is a great market with locals and tourist blending together to enjoy the local specialties, fruits and atmosphere. Great for shopping and eating around randomly.
 * The Biblical Zoo
 * Visit the Belzer Rebbe's tish on Friday night in Charedi Jerusalem (men only!) or just wander around Ultra Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim in decent attires
 * Mishkenot Sha'ananim the first modern neighborhood outside the Old City, a beautiful cluster of small cobbled streets

Museums
Jerusalem is full of museums; here are a few of the most important ones.

 * The Israel Museum is the largest and most famous museum in Israel, particularly noted for its historic treasures including the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Aleppo Codex.
 * Yad Vashem is Israel's Holocaust museum.
 * The Tower of David (Citadel) is the famous tower at Jaffa Gate, now a museum of Jerusalem history. The museum uses the chambers and room of the Jerusalem citadel as exhibition rooms, each exhibition is dedicated to a specific period in the history of Jerusalem. The exhibitions are chronologically ordered. At nights, the museum present a spectacular night-show of lights and sounds, screened on the citadel, telling the story of the history of Jerusalem (this must be pre-ordered).
 * The Museum For Islamic Art - The museum includes several exhibitions including ancient clocks exhibition.
 * Bible Lands Museum - Next to the Israel Museum, this museum provides a detailed look at the ancient societies of the Middle East.
 * The Friends of Zion Museum- Located in the city center the museum tells the stories of the friends of Zion - non-Jewish people that have helped the Jews establish a state. http://www.fozmuseum.com/
 * The Friends of Zion Museum- Located in the city center the museum tells the stories of the friends of Zion - non-Jewish people that have helped the Jews establish a state. http://www.fozmuseum.com/

Do

 * Ramparts Walk - view the city from atop of the Old City walls. There are two different routes: the northern route starts from inside the old city by the Jaffa gate and circles the Christian quarter and the Muslim quarter. The southern route starts from outside the Jaffa gate and circles the Armenian quarter and the Jewish quarter.
 * Western Wall Tunnels is a tour that is well worth your time. The guides there are well versed in the history of the wall and the explanation of the first two temples and the subsequent construction of the Dome of the Rock will create a great picture of the conflict between relevant cultures. Reservations are recommended, but individual walk-ins can sometimes be squeezed in.
 * The City of David water tunnels tour is interesting. It is located down the road from the Dung Gate (near the Western Wall), follow the signs. The tour lasts around 2 hours and starts with a description of the City of David. It culminates in a 25 minute walk through the water channel cut to bring fresh water into Jerusalem from a nearby spring. Sandals and a torch are required! The water is ankle deep for most of the tour.
 * Mahane Yehuda is the main outdoor market of West Jerusalem. Large, loud, and labyrinthine, the market boasts a huge number of stalls, generally open Sunday to Thursday 08:00-20:00, and F 08:00-15:00, closed Shabbat. Fresh produce, pastries, spices, salads abound. Definitely the place for a bargain and a unique insight into traditional Israeli culture. When the shops close in the evening, the night life opens up - in the last few years the Shuk has become a destination for bars, restaurants, and music at night.
 * Jerusalem is an amazing city for children and children's events. Each museum runs special child programs during the summer including Recycle workshops at the Israel Museum, Costumed tours of the Bible Lands Museum and the Museum of the Underground Prisoner. The Jerusalem Theater has a full schedule of children's theater and even opera. For a full list of children's events and attractions see www.funinjerusalem.com For teens there is mini golf, segway tours, bowling, go karting, extreme sports, carpentry workshop and Kad V'Chomer (paint your own ceramics). Fun In Jerusalem also has a full list of swimming pools open to the public which come in handy during the hot summer months.
 * The Jerusalem Trail

Tours

 * Free Walking Tours run by Sandeman's New Europe Tours start at the Jaffa gate and run twice every day. They visit all four quarters of the old city, and are an excellent way to get a first impression of the old city. The guides can be easily recognized by their red shirts and expect a tip at the end of the tour.

Learn
Jerusalem offers a wide range of educational programs, which include:

 * The Rothberg International School – part of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
 * Yad Vashem runs a number of educational courses treating the subject of the Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
 * Al Quds University offers many different programs to foreign students, as well as special summer courses to improve your Arabic skills.
 * All Nations Cafe organizes summer caravans where internationals can learn about the social, political and cultural aspects of life in and around Jerusalem.
 * AISH Hatorah Offers walk-in interactive discussions and lectures that cover topics such as: Being Jewish in today's world, defining the major tenents in Jewish thought from a rational perspective, and exploring major themes and practices in Jewish spirituality.
 * Yeshiva Machon Meir Address: 2 Hameiri Ave., Kiryat Moshe: Shiurim in weekly Torah portion (parasha), religious rules (halacha), Jewish ethics (mussar). Jewish outreach. Instruction languages are Hebrew, English and Russian.
 * Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies is a campus of Brigham Young University (owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) for study abroad programs. The center provides a curriculum that focuses on Old and New Testament, ancient and modern Near Eastern studies, and language (Hebrew and Arabic). The campus offers tours of the main building, and hosts weekly concerts.

Buy
If shopping in the Old City's markets, where almost anything can be found, be prepared to haggle. You will find beautiful and unique gifts here including jewelry, bed covers, statues, and spices, as well as more touristy goods like T-shirts with memorably funny designs.

For Judaica, the Old City's Jewish Quarter, Mea Shearim (dress modestly), Ben Yehudah St, and Emek Refaim are good places to look.

The new city center, around the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall, is a great place to buy things and just hang out.

The Mamilla pedestrian mall just outside Jaffa Gate is a picturesque place to walk, and has a good selection of upscale international clothing stores.

Eat
Jerusalem, being a multicultural city, has food from all countries, cultures and tastes. Besides the ubiquitous falafel stands, there is European, Ethiopian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern food. There is also a large range of prices, from the ritzy Mamilla and Emek Refaim, to falafel stands surrounding Machaneh Yehuda and the Central Bus Station. A good rule of thumb is to look for restaurants filled with Hebrew or Arabic speaking locals. For falafel, the busiest place is probably the best, because falafel balls become less tasty the longer they are waiting out of the deep fryer.

If you keep kosher, Jerusalem is a wonderful place to visit. In the Jewish sections of the city almost everything is kosher. However you should still check for the kashrut certificate on the wall. If you don't see it and the staff cannot show it to you, it's a good sign to move along. The certificate is stamped בשרי ("basari", meat) or חלבי ("halavi", dairy). The current Jerusalem certificates are cream colored for normal certification, light purple for stricter certification ("mehuderet"), and marbled brown colored for strictest supervision ("mehadrin"). Certificates are valid for 6 or 12 months at a time (typically until Pesach or Rosh Hashana) with the expiration date prominently marked. Note it is not unusual for it to take a few days to get the new certificate up. In Haredi areas, the municipal kashrut certificate may be missing, but a certificate from a local Haredi organization will be provided. Also note that only some branches of McDonalds in Jerusalem are kosher. Kosher branches have yellow arches on a blue background, rather than the usual red background.

Despite its name, the "Jerusalem artichoke" has no connection to Jerusalem, and you won't find it used more widely here than elsewhere.

However, there is an authentic Jerusalem food - the Jerusalem mixed grill (me'orav yerushalmi), which was invented in the 1960s at one of the steakhouses near the Mahaneh Yehuda market and has since spread widely across Israel. It consists of a mixture of spicy grilled meat chunks including chicken breasts, hearts, and livers, and pieces of lamb. Nowadays you can get it as fast food wrapped in pita or laffa bread, or as a main course in sit-down restaurants. One famous place is Steakiyat Hatzot, Agrippas street; check out the photos on the wall.

Drink
Most of the nightclubs and bars are in West Jerusalem, mostly in the city center or Talpiyot district. Consult the district article for specifics.

If you are looking for alcohol stores, there is one right by the Jaffa gate and several on Jaffa Rd. One of the stores by the Generali building (located on the right side on Jaffa when you're facing the building) stocks a wide variety of different beers and also has great prices, lower than that of other stores.

Sleep
The Old City has a diverse mix of small hotels, religious hospices and cheap hostels. The cheapest accommodation is found here.

West Jerusalem has a blend of B&Bs, guesthouses, small hotels and large hotels up to 5-star accommodation, including the famous King David Hotel, which is worth visiting for its architecture even if you don't stay there.

East Jerusalem contains a similar mix.

Phone
The area code prefix for Jerusalem is: 02.

With the rise of cell phones, public telephones hardly exist but they take prepaid phone cards which can be purchased at post offices, shops and lottery kiosks. They are available in the following denominations: 20 units (₪13), 50 units (₪29), or 120 units (₪60). Calls made on Saturdays and Friday evenings are 25% cheaper than the standard rate.

Coin-phones (usually ₪1) are also available. Those are private "public phones", owned and operated by shop owners.

Mail
Israeli Post offices are available for service from 08:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00 (Su-Th) though hours may vary per branch.

 * The central post office for West Jerusalem is located near the head of Jaffa Road, close to the municipality offices. Open until 19:00.
 * In the Old City, post offices can be found in the Armenian Quarter near the Jaffa Gate, diagonally opposite the Tower of David Museum, as well as the Jewish Quarter on Plugat Ha-Kotel near the Broad Wall.
 * A post office is in a small shopping mall on King George Street, immediately south of Jaffa street.

Israel uses the red British "pillar" post boxes in some areas of Jerusalem, a reminder of the previous British Mandate.

WiFi
You will find free WiFi in buses and cafes.

Alternatively, most inexpensive cell phone plans include a few GB per month of internet data.

Stay safe
In the case of injury or other emergency incidents, Police services can be reached by dialing 100, Ambulance services can be reached by dialing 101, and the Fire Department can be reached by dialing 102. All emergency services employ English-speaking operators.

Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Despite alarming news headlines, Jerusalem is relatively safe for tourists. Nonetheless, Palestinians have attacked Israeli police officers and Jewish civilians, primarily with knives. Jews have committed similar attacks on Arabs, and in one case even on Gay Pride Parade participants — so check on current conditions before you go.

Non-rigorous security checks can be frequent, especially when entering hotels, cinemas/theaters and shopping areas. It is wise to carry some identification.

Like anywhere in Israel, you may notice large numbers of soldiers carrying weapons. These are generally off-duty soldiers going to and from their bases, so they have nothing to do with the security situation. However, in and around the Old City there will probably be many on-duty armed police. Also, educational tours for soldiers are often conducted in the Old City, and the IDF's "swearing in ceremony" is held near the Western Wall.

Tourists are not usually targeted in terror attacks, and most have occurred well away from tourist sites. Naturally it is important to remain vigilant and alert.

Religion
There are a few areas in the city where it is important to be mindful of one's dress, religion, and time period visiting. Here are some guidelines:

 * Dress. When visiting any holy site or religious neighborhood one should dress modestly. For men this means long pants, a closed shirt with sleeves, and a head covering. For women, it means a skirt that falls below the knee, a shirt with elbow-length sleeves and no exposed cleavage or stomach. This applies to churches, mosques, and synagogues, as well as the Temple Mount (Noble Sanctuary) and Western Wall (the plaza by the Wall is essentially an open-air synagogue, and there are mosques on the Temple Mount), and Haredi neighborhoods such as Mea Shearim.
 * Religion. It is not safe for noticeably Jewish people (e.g. wearing a kippah or speaking Hebrew) to enter Muslim neighborhoods. This includes the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, though the heavy police presence there makes it safer. It is also somewhat unsafe for Arabs to enter Haredi neighborhoods, or to enter the Jewish city center very late at night when Jewish youth have been drinking.
 * Time. Non-Muslims are not allowed on the Temple Mount (Noble Sanctuary) during times of Muslim prayer. During Shabbat and Jewish holidays, one should not publicly use electronic devices or smoke in any synagogue, at the Western Wall, or in any Haredi neighborhood. (Smoking is, otherwise, rather common in Israel, so nonsmokers should also be forewarned.) Driving in Haredi neighborhoods on Shabbat and Jewish holidays is not allowed, and roads may be closed off. During Ramadan, eating, drinking or smoking in the streets of Muslim areas is culturally insensitive, although tourists are rarely interfered with.

Due to the mixture of religions, and the mixture of cultures within religions, tensions can sometimes be high. Avoid any confrontations between locals. Although extremely rare, some locals may carry xenophobic attitudes and ask foreigners to leave the area near their home. You have the right to see all of Jerusalem, but moving along to another area will resolve the situation.

Street crime
Street crime is nearly nonexistent, although pickpockets may work in the Old City.

On the whole, theft is not a large-scale problem. To minimize risk, however, normal precautions apply. Do not leave valuable objects inside a car or in full view in your hotel room. There are many ATMs throughout the city and credit cards are widely accepted, so there is no need to carry large amounts of cash.

Consulates and embassies
Due to the disputed status of Jerusalem, most countries maintaining embassies in Israel keep them in nearby Tel Aviv, with the notable exception of the United States. However, they often maintain a consulate in Jerusalem as well. The U.S. embassy moved here in 2018, and some US allies have announced an intention to either move an existing embassy to Jerusalem or open a new one here.

 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇬🇹 Guatemala
 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Go next
One of the three Arab bus stations near Damascus gate will serve the Palestinian city you want to go to next. If you are heading towards an Israeli city in the west, start at the CBS in West Jerusalem. See above.

 * Abu Gosh
 * Bethlehem – The biblical birthplace of Jesus and hometown of David, surrounded by Mar Saba Monastery and Herodium (Herodion) Park.
 * Ramallah – Not so exciting, but a good starting point going further north in the West Bank. De facto seat of government of the Palestinian authority.
 * Nablus – One of the oldest cities in the world and famous for its kunafa/kenafeh. If you are on a tight schedule and planning to go to Ramallah, you might want to skip the latter for this more exciting Palestinian city.
 * Jericho – One of the oldest settlements in the world and the Middle East, and a great starting point for Kalya Beach at the Dead Sea, which is famous in the region.
 * Tel Aviv – A big and the most cosmopolitan city in Israel, well known for its club culture.

There are direct shared taxis to King Hussein "Allenby" Bridge for Jordan, for ₪38 plus ₪4 per luggage – pick up from Al-Souq Al-Tijaree "The commercial souq" not far away from the main bus station. Regarding visa regulation see Palestinian territories.

title: Jerusalem


text:
Jerusalem/Haredi

Haredi or Chareidi Jerusalem refers to the parts of Jerusalem which are overwhelmingly populated by Haredi (or 'ultra-Orthodox') Jews. More than a third of Jerusalem's population (200,000 people), and more than 60% of Jewish youth in Jerusalem, are Haredi.

Haredi neighborhoods make up much most of the northwest of the city. With a few exceptions, neighborhoods north and west of the light rail line are Haredi, while neighborhoods south and east are not. Many of these neighborhoods used to have a mixed Haredi-secular population, but as the Haredi population has grown they have become more homogeneous. However, the large Ramot neighborhood in the northwest of the city still has a mixed population. Also, there are two significant Haredi-populated neighborhoods outside the area covered in this article - Bayit Vegan near Mount Herzl, and Neve Yaakov in the far northeast of the city. Tourists are unlikely to be interested in these outlying neighborhoods, though.

Get in
The center of Haredi Jerusalem is (or Kikar Shabbos according to their Yiddish-influenced pronunciation), a road intersection about 700 meters north of the secular-Jewish downtown. From the Jaffa Center light rail stop, walk north on Strauss street (which is the northern continuation of King George street). After about 10 minutes you will reach Kikar HaShabbat, a cramped five-way intersection. On the right is Meah Shearim street leading into Meah Shearim (described below); on the left is Malchei Yisrael street (also described below). Numerous bus routes also go here, including route 1 which passes here on its way from the Central Bus Station to the Western Wall.

During the Sabbath (Shabbos in local pronunciation), from Friday at sunset until Saturday at nightfall, it is impossible to drive to or through Haredi neighborhoods, as most streets are closed to traffic.

Get around
The Haredi sector in Israel has a very high rate of usage of public transportation. Within Jerusalem, it is particularly easy to get a bus between any two Haredi areas, as long as you know which route to take. See Egged's city bus map for directions.

Respect
Haredi society is very conservative, and often considers itself to be under siege by the permissive modern world. To be considerate of them, you should follow the following rules while visiting their neighborhoods:

 * Women and girls must wear clothing that covers the shoulders, knees, and everything in between (except hands and forearms). Necklines should be closed. Men and boys must wear clothing that cover the shoulders and legs. In Me'ah Shearim, tourists and Israeli women in miniskirts and shorts, as well as men in shorts have been attacked by residents throwing stones at them.
 * Tourists are asked not to travel in large groups.
 * Do not photograph or film residents without asking for permission, particularly on the Sabbath. (But taking photographs of random street scenes is fine in most neighborhoods, except in some parts of Me'ah Shearim.) There are religious reasons for this: residents do not want to be part of Sabbath violation, and some of them may consider human photographs forbidden as images that could be used for idolatry. But beyond that, like any other people, they don't want to be seen as a spectacle.
 * Do not publicly violate the Sabbath. That means: no mobile phones, cigarettes, or cameras, and perhaps somewhat more respectable dress. These items should not only not be used on Friday night and Saturday, but they should also not be visibly carried around. If they must be taken along, carry them in a bag, and don't forget to turn off your mobile phone.
 * Avoid wearing Christian symbols, such as crosses or religious shirts. Also, since many residents are anti-Zionist, some of them very strongly so, wearing pro-Israel shirts and the like may lead to uncomfortable looks.

Buses
See Bus travel in Israel.

Visit Rebbes' tishen
Chassidim are a subset of Haredim with a distinct culture. There are many different Chassidic movements, each one led by a different Rebbe, who reigns like a spiritual king over the movement. On many Friday nights (and other special occasions), there is a Chassidic celebration known as a tish. Hundreds or even thousands of Chassidim come to celebrate Shabbos, the Jewish Sabbath, with their Rebbe. This live encounter with Chassidic culture may be much more interesting or uplifting than visiting museums.

Non-Chassidic guests are always welcome; there are usually some less religious people around the tish as well. Dress respectably, preferably in neat pants and a nice shirt (and a jacket, if you want), and wear a yarmulke (kippah, head covering). If you do not speak Hebrew, it might be useful to go together with someone who does speak Hebrew, since few chassidim speak English; most speak only Hebrew and Yiddish. Only men and boys participate in the tish, but often there is a women's gallery where women can observe the action.

Below a list of some Chassidic groups with tishen (plural of tish) in Jerusalem. Schedules may vary, and in particular may be an hour later in the summer.

Buy

 * Judaica, such as a Chanukiah (Chanukah candalebra).
 * Jewish books, on all subjects, in all languages.

Connect
Due to the rabbinical ban on usage of the internet, there are no internet cafes anywhere in Haredi Jerusalem. Despite the rabbinical ban, many people do have a computer with internet access; however, this is a very delicate subject in the Haredi world. For internet cafes, you will need to go to secular-Israeli Jerusalem.

There are a lot of public pay phones in Haredi Jerusalem. Most can only be used with Bezeq cards. Pay phones are cheap in Israel.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Jerusalem/Haredi


text:
Jerusalem/East

East Jerusalem is the part of Jerusalem that belongs to the Palestinian territories. The walled Old City is formally part of it, but is discussed in its own article. Also much of the city outside the walls is ancient.

Many of the important sites in the area are concentrated in the City of David, Mount Zion, and the Mount of Olives.

Understand

The ancient city of Jerusalem was located in today's East Jerusalem. The city began in a small area now known as the "City of David", just south of the current Old City walls, which were built by the Ottoman Turks in 1538. When Jerusalem began to spread outside the Old City in the late 19th century, Jews mostly settled west of the Old City while Arabs mostly settled to the north and south. The 1948 war left Jerusalem divided, with the western neighborhoods under Jewish control, while the Old City and eastern neighborhoods were under Arab control. This forms the basis for the current division between "East" and "West" Jerusalem.

In 1967, after capturing East Jerusalem, Israel decided to annex a large area surrounding the city, to provide room for the city's future growth. This large area included what were the Arab parts of Jerusalem at the time, as well as a number of nearby Arab villages, as well as non-inhabited land. Since 1967, the villages have grown into large suburbs, while new Jewish neighborhoods have been built. During this time, East Jerusalem's population of 66,000 Arabs has grown to a total of approximately 260,000 Arabs and 200,000 Jews.

East Jerusalem is also the location of the first campus of the Hebrew University on Mt Scopus, established in 1925. From 1948 to 1967, the campus was an enclave of Israeli control in East Jerusalem, but did not function as a university. After 1967, the university was re-established on the site.

East Jerusalem remains a major point of contention in Arab-Israeli relations, as Israel has annexed it, but Palestinians claim it as their capital. Peace negotiations typically envision Jewish and Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem becoming part of Israel and a Palestinian state respectively. The status of the Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary in the Old City has been harder to negotiate, as both sides have deep theological and historic links to the same location. With the exception of the United States, most foreign countries do not formally recognise East Jerusalem as part of Israel.

There has been periodic violence between Arabs and Jews in East Jerusalem (and on the boundary between the East and West), including the 2015–2016 "Intifada of the Knives".

By bus
East Jerusalem has three central stations for Arab urban and intercity buses. All are close to each other, just north of the Old City. Listed in geographical order, from west to east: Here the stations are named after the street they are on. If you are asking for directions, it may be more useful to tell people your bus destination. For a listing of routes and destinations, see cicts.org. Shared taxis to Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron also leave from here.

If coming from West Jerusalem, bus lines 1 and 3 leave from the central bus station on Jaffa Street and circle around the old city, with stops near the old city gates and major sites of East Jerusalem in the vicinity of the Old City. Bus number 84 leaves from the Ammunition Hill light rail stop and will take you to the top of the Mount of Olives.

By light rail
Coming from West Jerusalem, the light rail enters East Jerusalem, stopping first at Damascus Gate next to the Old City. It then turns north, paralleling the boundary between East and West Jerusalem, before continuing north into additional East Jerusalem neighborhoods. Depending on the sites you want to visit, there are several stops you may want to get off at:
 * - this is the last stop in West Jerusalem, and it is the closest stop to Mount Zion and the City of David.
 * The light rail station is near the transportation hub of East Jerusalem outside the Damascus Gate. Use this stop for the Garden Tomb and Rockefeller Archaeological Museum.
 * - for Tombs of the Kings and several hotels, including Grand Court and American Colony.
 * (Giv'at Hatahmoshet) for Ammunition Hill Memorial Site, Dan Jerusalem Hotel, and bus 84 to the Mount of Olives.

On foot
Most sights within East Jerusalem are close to the Old City, allowing them to be explored on foot.

Get around
Close to the Old City, the streets are limited and crowded, and you are best off walking.

If you are visiting the Mount of Olives, keep in mind that it is quite steep. You might want to take a very short cab ride to the top to save you the climbing, particularly in hot weather. It should be easy to flag down a cab near the Old City.

For the few East Jerusalem sites that are far from the Old City, there are buses (separate but overlapping Jewish and Arab networks), as well as the light rail line.

Mount Zion

This hill is located next to the Old City, just south of the Armenian Quarter. It was the only part of ancient Jerusalem that was under Israeli control in 1948–1967. "Zion" is an old name for Jerusalem. "Mount Zion" received its name in the Middle Ages, when it was thought that the original location of Jerusalem was on this hill. However, the original location is now known to be the "City of David", and the present Temple Mount is the biblical Mount Zion. Zionism, the movement to return the Jews to the Holy Land, takes its name from Mount Zion, where the Jews had made their stand against the Roman Empire before being conquered and exiled from the area.

City of David
Located south of the Temple Mount, this area is the oldest inhabited part of Jerusalem. When King David conquered Jerusalem from the Jebusites (around 1000 BCE) and made it his capital, the city was limited to this area. David's son Solomon began the process of expanding the city to the north and west, so since then, the original city has been known as the "City of David".

/>In front of the ticket office is a metal staircase leading down underneath the metal mesh floor. This takes you down to the "Large Stone Structure", which is claimed to be part of the building work undertaken by either David or Solomon, perhaps even being King David's palace. This claim, which is not without controversy, makes the site popular with earnest young Zionists. A building above this site houses a free film outlining Jewish history in the area. From the terrace behind the building an excellent view of Silwan and the ancient rock-cut tombs can be obtained.
 * The City of David is the oldest part of Jerusalem, with remains of buildings up to the city's capture by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The ruins include 13th century BC walls, as well as fortifications and fragments of a palace attributed to David, the second king of Israel.
 * The second thing is the Warren’s Shaft, the underground water system named after Charles Warren, its 19th-century discoverer. The system was built by the Jebusites to ensure a water supply during sieges. In the 10th century BC a tunnel (now known as a Canaanite tunnel) was dug to take water from the Gihon Spring to the fields of the Kidron valley. King Hezekiah had a new tunnel built to bring the spring water right into the city. Hezekiah's Tunnel ran 533 m (1,750 ft) from the spring to the Pool of Siloam in the southern end of the city. Now, the visitors have two options. You can either walk through the Hezekiah's (wet) tunnel or take the shorter Canaanite (dry) tunnel. In the wet tunnel, you will have to wade in thigh-deep water (flashlight and proper shoes are required). It takes about half an hour to pass through, and the ceiling is high in most places. The dry tunnel is really dry and quite narrow (in fact, it is a crack in the rock).<br
 * The second thing is the Warren’s Shaft, the underground water system named after Charles Warren, its 19th-century discoverer. The system was built by the Jebusites to ensure a water supply during sieges. In the 10th century BC a tunnel (now known as a Canaanite tunnel) was dug to take water from the Gihon Spring to the fields of the Kidron valley. King Hezekiah had a new tunnel built to bring the spring water right into the city. Hezekiah's Tunnel ran 533 m (1,750 ft) from the spring to the Pool of Siloam in the southern end of the city. Now, the visitors have two options. You can either walk through the Hezekiah's (wet) tunnel or take the shorter Canaanite (dry) tunnel. In the wet tunnel, you will have to wade in thigh-deep water (flashlight and proper shoes are required). It takes about half an hour to pass through, and the ceiling is high in most places. The dry tunnel is really dry and quite narrow (in fact, it is a crack in the rock).<br

Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane

It is recommended that one explore the Mount of Olives from the top down, as the uphill climb is fairly steep. The best ways to travel to the top of the Mount of Olives are bus 84 from Ammunition Hill light rail station (get off at the Seven Arches Hotel), by sherut (shared taxi) from outside the Damascus Gate, or by bus 275 or 255 from the bus station outside of Herod's gate (get off at the Chapel of Ascension).

If you decide to walk from the Old City, the best route is to exit through the Lions' Gate, go up the lane beside the Garden of Gethsemane (Church of All Nations) and turn right, then follow the tarmac road up past the Dominus Flevit church and the Tombs of Zachariah and Malachi to the short flight of stairs which brings you out at the viewing point overlooking the Old City. If you go up and down the same way, use the stairs a little further behind where the lane up starts and walk back down the lane. Be aware that pickpockets are a real menace at this spot and make sure that your valuables are safely stowed away and that you are aware of anyone coming close to you. Photographs and engravings dating back to the late 1700s show three paths leading up over the Mount of Olives which correspond to the two paths and one road in existence today. As the right-hand path is the shortest route to Bethany, it is possible that Jesus really did follow this path on Palm Sunday, as tradition claims.

Steimatzky’s bookstore in West Jerusalem carries a very good pamphlet called "The Mount of Olives" that includes an account of the history of each church, in addition to readings from the Gospels and notes from pilgrims to the area. It also covers Bethphage and the Church of St. Lazarus in Bethany.

The following points of interest are listed from the top of the Mount to the bottom. Once you have finished on the Mount of Olives, it is a short climb to the Old City's Lion's Gate.

 * Church of Mary Magdalene1.jpg
 * Church of Mary Magdalene1.jpg
 * Church of Mary Magdalene1.jpg
 * Church of Mary Magdalene1.jpg
 * Church of Mary Magdalene1.jpg
 * Church of Mary Magdalene1.jpg

Sleep
Most, but not all, East Jerusalem hotels are located a short walk north of the Old City.

Stay safe
As Jews and Arabs live in separate neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, an Arab walking in a Jewish neighborhood or a Jew walking in an Arab neighborhood may trigger hostility. Violence targeting tourists is rare, but there have been incidents of tourists assaulted by Arabs after being mistaken for Jews at the Mount of Olives.

Be aware of pickpockets and be suspicious of any stranger trying to start conversation of offer to sell you something, especially at the Mount of Olives.

Some Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem are seen as "no go zones" by Israeli Jews, who will often even avoid driving through them. These include the Chapel of the Ascension, Bethphage and the Tomb of Lazarus. Jewish taxi drivers from West Jerusalem may hesitate or even refuse to take you to these sites, because they genuinely fear for their own safety. If you do want to get to these sites by taxi, you can take an Arab taxi from outside the Damascus gate.

The City of David, Mount Zion and Gethsemane are generally safe.

title: Jerusalem/East


text:
Jerusalem/Ein Kerem

Ein Kerem is a secluded village suburb on the outskirts of West Jerusalem. Surrounded by hills dotted with olive and cypress trees, the village is refreshingly quiet although only a 20-minute bus ride southwest of the city centre. Ein Kerem's stone houses are now mostly inhabited by Israeli artists and sculptors, and there is a wide variety of art galleries in the village. Alongside, there is also a choice of small cafes and restaurants. Travellers will be interested in visiting also the large number of religious sites in and around Ein Kerem, the reputed birthplace of John the Baptist, commemorated in the Church of St. John.

Get in
Take city bus #28 from the.

Get around
Walk - it's a small village.

See

 * the Spring of the Virgin
 * the Notre Dame de Sion monastery, guest house and garden which is open for visitors and give a marvelous experience
 * the Mosque of Omar Since 'Umar Ib al-Khatab visited and prayed in the village soon after the Muslim Arab conquest in the 7th century, a mosque has been erected for this occasion (which remains standing to this date).
 * the Mosque of Omar Since 'Umar Ib al-Khatab visited and prayed in the village soon after the Muslim Arab conquest in the 7th century, a mosque has been erected for this occasion (which remains standing to this date).
 * the Mosque of Omar Since 'Umar Ib al-Khatab visited and prayed in the village soon after the Muslim Arab conquest in the 7th century, a mosque has been erected for this occasion (which remains standing to this date).

Do
Take a walk in the garden of Notre Dame De Sion monastery and Guest House. It has a beautiful garden, view points and old cemetery. The sisters are very much open to every religion and nation.

Buy
A popular souvenir are the handmade chocolates from Sweet N' Kerem (which is on the way to Church of Saint John).

Eat
There are five main restaurants: "Carma", "Mala Bistro", "Pundak Ein Kerem", and "Brasserie" are more Italian - French - Mediterranean themed; "Fairus" is a relatively new Lebanese restaurant, serving grilled meats and salads with relatively large portions. All are non-Kosher and open on Shabbat. There is also "Sweet N' Kerem", a chocolate house serving ice cream, coffee and hand made chocolates, which is also open on Shabbat.

Overall, this village can be a good destination for food in Jerusalem on Shabbat, which mingles foreign and local food. There is also a cafe inside The Church of Saint John, and another ice cream shop called "Tezoro" on Hamayan Street.

If you happen to visit Ein Kerem on Friday morning, the local grocery shop sells stuffed vegetables and Moroccan snacks.

Drink
There are two grocery/mini market stores that sell soft drinks (one of which opens on Shabbat). Some restaurants (e.g. the Lebanese restaurant) also serve fresh juice.

title: Jerusalem/Ein Kerem


text:
Jerusalem/Old City

The Old City of Jerusalem (Hebrew: העיר העתיקה, Ha'Ir Ha'Atiqah, Arabic: البلدة القديمة, al-Balda al-Qadimah) is that part of Jerusalem surrounded by the impressive 16th-century Ottoman city walls and representing the heart of the city both historically and spiritually. In a city already divided, the Old City is further divided culturally and historically into four residential Quarters: (clockwise from the southeast) the Jewish, Armenian, Christian, and Muslim Quarters. A fifth area, the Temple Mount/Haram esh-Sharif, contains the Dome of the Rock, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and other Muslim religious sites, and was once the site of the Jewish Temple. The whole Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Districts
In clockwise order, starting in the south:

Understand
The core of Jerusalem, the Old City, has a history that stretches back more than 3,000 years. The present street plan dates largely from Byzantine times, with the walls and ramparts dating back to the 16th century. The crossroad of three continents, Jerusalem has been one of the most fought over cities in human history. Within the walls, the Old City is divided into four vaguely defined quarters: Christian, Armenian, Jewish and Muslim.

You do not need to be Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, or even be overly concerned with religion, to be overwhelmed. With archaeology dating back to the time of the Bible, anyone with a sense of history, spirituality or the human species should be absorbed by the tremendous weight of human civilization that cloaks nearly every part of the city. It is an inhabited, living city - not a deserted museum or monument. Humanity's passion play has been constant revival at this location for most of the length of recorded history.

Get in
The Old City is surrounded by a wall built in the first half of the 16th century by the Ottoman Turk, Suleyman the Magnificent. The 4-km (2.5-mile) circuit is accessed by eight gates, of which seven remain in current use. The gates are, in clockwise order starting in the west:

By light rail
The Jerusalem Municipality usually recommends light rail as the best way to get to the Old City, particularly on holidays when there are many visitors. Each station is about a two-minute walk from the Old City walls.

 * (העיריה) is the closest station to Jaffa Gate and the New Gate. It should be used for the Christian, Armenian and Jewish Quarters.
 * (שער שכם) station is the closest to the Damascus Gate. It should be used for the Muslim and Christian quarters.

By bus

 * 1: Central Bus Station - Sarei Yisrael - Malchei Yisrael (Geulah) - Meah Shearim - Damascus Gate - Western Wall
 * 2: Mamilla - Jewish Quarter Parking lot - Western Wall - Mamilla. A "Touristic" bus with a circular route that serves the tourist spots in the Old City and nearby it.
 * 3: Central Bus Station - Kiryat Mattersdorf - Sorotzkin - Kiryat Tzanz - Ezrat Torah - Shmuel HaNavi - Damascus Gate - Western Wall
 * 38: Jewish Quarter Parking lot - First Station - King George St - Davidka Square - Mamilla - Jewish Quarter Parking lot.
 * 83: Western Wall - Mount Olives neighbourhood
 * 218: Ramallah/Al-Bireh - Qalandia - Beit Hanina - (almost) Herod's Gate
 * 231: Bethlehem/Beit Jala - Talpiot - Jaffa Gate - Damascus Gate
 * Other East Jerusalem - buses with blue stripes all terminate near the Damascus Gate; buses with green stripes all terminate 2 minutes walk from Herod's Gate.

By car
If you arrive by car, be aware of the limited parking space. The streets outside the Old City walls are usually reserved for buses and taxicabs; parking of private cars is prohibited.

With a private guide
There's no doubt that Jerusalem is overwhelming not to mention scattered. If you only have a day or two to see the city and you'd like to visit many places in a short time, hiring a local private guide that has his own van might be the right thing for you instead of dealing with a rented car & parking for those days. (Note that there is virtually no vehicular access to the Old City, which is most conveniently accessed on foot and is within walking distance of many hotels in the New City.) However, when choosing a guide, try to ask the right questions and advise him/her with a plan that will fit your interest. You'll know the person is a good private tour guide if they will tailor a tour according to your needs.

Get around
The Old City is fairly diminutive in size compared to modern-day Jerusalem. Despite its small size, or perhaps because of it, the Old City is amazing. Much of the Old City is accessible only by walking because of very narrow streets and steps in the road. This is not a great inconvenience because the Old City is only about 1 kilometer across. The Old City is a maze of twisty alleyways and it's difficult to keep your bearings even with a map. Then again, getting lost is half the fun—you can't get too lost due to its size. Thought should be given to footwear, as the roads and paths are uneven stone and thin-soled shoes or spike heels could become uncomfortable.

Note: The Old City contains many small alleys and tiny streets that often do not appear in guidebooks and street maps. Major roads are almost always signed, so do not simply rely on the map and take the next left/right as it may not be the road you are looking for.

Jewish Quarter
The Jewish Quarter feels distinctly different from the rest of the Old City. Razed by the Jordanians after the partition of the former British Mandate of Palestine in 1948, most buildings in it have been rebuilt from scratch since Israel assumed control of the Old City in 1967. Despite strict laws mandating the use of Jerusalem limestone in all façades in order to maintain uniformity, the buildings look and feel new.

Armenian Quarter
The Armenian Quarter is the smallest and quietest of the four. The quarter runs itself as a city within a city (within a city...), shutting the gates of its courtyards when night falls.

Christian Quarter

The Christian Quarter, the result of rapid expansion under Byzantine rule, is in the northwest corner of the city and is home to a bewildering array of churches, patriarchates and hospices of the city's many Christian denominations. The quarter is served by the Jaffa Gate and the New Gate.

Muslim Quarter
The Muslim Quarter is the largest and most densely populated quarter of the Old City. The quarter has changed hands many times from the 12th through 15th centuries, resulting in decay since the 16th century. It is one of the most fascinating and least explored parts of Jerusalem. The Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif is described separately (below).

Temple Mount/Haram esh-Sharif

The Temple Mount (Hebrew Har HaBayit, הר הבית) or Haram al-Sharif (Arabic: حارم الشريف, literally Noble Sanctuary) is the most important site in Judaism and the third most important site in Islam. It is the site of the First and Second Temples from the Jewish and Christian Bible. The site's massive rectangular platform (of which the Western Wall is one wall) was built by Herod the Great. Now the site is a showcase for Islamic architecture and design from the Umayyad to Ottoman times, and is an important religious and educational center for Muslims to the present. Encompassing over 35 acres of fountains, gardens, buildings and domes, it is crowned by the magnificent Dome of the Rock, which stands on the site of the ancient Jewish Temples.

Entering the Temple Mount (Haram esh-Sharif) for non-Muslims is through an elevated wooden walkway leading to a gate called Mughrabi Gate (Moor's Gate), on the south-eastern corner of the Western Wall Plaza in the Jewish Quarter. The entry to the Temple Mount itself (not the mosques) is allowed to non-Muslims only at certain hours and is free of charge (see the caution note above).

Some rabbis consider it forbidden or at the very least religiously unadvisable to enter the Temple Mount as the Holy of Holies is/was somewhere on the Mount. While the Temple stood, this area was off-limits to anybody not a priest of the Temple (and even they could only enter it at certain periods). As the protection of the Holy of Holies was – according to that view – never revoked, one could accidentally blaspheme by standing in the wrong place. However, there are also Jews who disagree with that view or who claim to know where the Holy of Holies is/was or who do not care about the religious implications. Nevertheless, it is better to know and make an informed choice.

It is hard to see the majestic buildings on the Temple Mount from the rest of the Old City (unless you know a local inhabitant who lets you onto their roof). An alternative is to look across from the Mount of Olives.

The sights of the Temple Mount (Haram esh-Sharif) which are permitted only to Muslims:

Christian Quarter

 * Walk the Via Dolorosa - the "way of sorrows" traditionally traces the last steps of Christ from where he was tried to Calvary, where he was crucified, and the tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where he is said to have been buried. There is no historical basis for the 0.25 km (0.16 miles) route, which has changed over the centuries. Nevertheless, pilgrims traditionally walk the route, identifying with Jesus' suffering. Along the route are 14 Stations of the Cross, each connected with a particular story or event. "Guides" hanging around the beginning of the Via will give you a tour for a small fee, accompanied by informed commentary, but this is not necessarily the best plan. Paying a token amount to get yourself started is not a bad plan, but if you have a guide book you can likely handle it better on your own from there, due to the crowded and winding nature of the Via through the Old City's narrow streets. Not all the guides are as respectful of the religious sites along the Via Dolorosa as they could be, sometimes walking headlong into occupied churches mid-service.
 * First Station - Jesus is condemned to death. The traditional site of the Roman fortress where this took place lies inside a Muslim college.
 * Second Station - Jesus takes up his cross after his flagellation and coronation of thorns. This takes place in front of the Monastery of Flagellation.
 * Third Station - Jesus falls beneath the weight of his cross. This is commemorated by a small chapel with a marble relief above the door.
 * Fourth Station - Jesus meets his mother Mary. A sculpture above the door of the Armenian Church of Our Lady of the Spasm represents this.
 * Fifth Station - Simon of Cyrene is ordered to help carry the cross of Christ. This point at the start of the ascent to Calvary is marked by a Franciscan oratory.
 * Sixth Station - Veronica wipes away Jesus' blood and sweat and her handkerchief reveals an impression of his face. This story, not recorded in the Bible, is commemorated by The Chapel of St Veronica.
 * Seventh Station - Jesus falls for the second time, as indicated by a large Roman column in a Franciscan chapel.
 * Eighth Station - Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:28), and is marked by a Latin cross on the wall of a Greek Orthodox Monastery.
 * Ninth Station - Jesus falls for the third time. This place is marked on a Roman column at the entrance to the Ethiopian Monastery.
 * Tenth to Thirteenth Stations - These four stations (Jesus is stripped of his clothes, nailed to the cross, dies, and is taken down from the cross) are all in the place identified as Golgotha (Calvary) within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
 * Fourteenth Station - the Holy Sepulchre itself, the purported tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea who asked Pilate for Jesus' body.
 * Attend a church service, if you're that way inclined.... For Christian services and addresses of churches (most denominations are represented in Jerusalem), call the Christian Information Centre, Jaffa Gate,, open M-Sa 08:30–13:00

Buy

 * Souk Khan al-Zeit and El-Wad streets are the main arteries of the Muslim Quarter. Souk Khan al-Zeit begins just east of the Muristan while El-Wad begins at the outlet of the tunnel to the Western Wall Plaza, with both leading north towards the Damascus gate. While these streets contain numerous souvenir shops and cafes catering to tourists, the majority of shops serve the local population. Butchers, Western clothing stores, hardware shops, and groceries can be found throughout the area.
 * The Suq El Attaria is the primary shopping area in the Arab quarters of the Old City. You will find shops ranging from souvenirs to greengrocers to traditional clothing.
 * The lanes and alleys in and near the Christian quarter abound in shops displaying icons and other churchy items. The quality ranges from kitsch to alright - and prices are mostly grossly inflated. Credit card scams are not unknown. Shop proprietors are seasoned masters at gentle but effective commercial manipulation - inviting bypassing tourists into their shops, involving them in innocuous conversation and directing them into 'you must buy this' situations.
 * The Old City of Jerusalem is known for its Armenian ceramics. With white and a rich blue as the base colors, and bright paintings on them, they are a distinct souvenir. The street signs throughout the old quarter are made of Armenian ceramics, and a few shops will produce custom nameplates and tile signs with a short turnaround time. Ceramics from Hebron are also popular with tourists.
 * The lanes and alleys in and near the Christian quarter abound in shops displaying icons and other churchy items. The quality ranges from kitsch to alright - and prices are mostly grossly inflated. Credit card scams are not unknown. Shop proprietors are seasoned masters at gentle but effective commercial manipulation - inviting bypassing tourists into their shops, involving them in innocuous conversation and directing them into 'you must buy this' situations.
 * The Old City of Jerusalem is known for its Armenian ceramics. With white and a rich blue as the base colors, and bright paintings on them, they are a distinct souvenir. The street signs throughout the old quarter are made of Armenian ceramics, and a few shops will produce custom nameplates and tile signs with a short turnaround time. Ceramics from Hebron are also popular with tourists.

Prices for snacks, water, and other drinks are inflated in the Jewish Quarter and near the Jaffa gate and the Muristan. As you move closer to Damascus Gate you can find 1.5-liter bottles of water for ₪5, while a 0.5-liter bottle may cost you as much as ₪9 in the more touristy areas.

Eat
The Old City tempts the taste buds with Arabic, Jewish, Mediterranean and International fare. Visitors on the go can grab food from street vendors, while those desiring a more formal meal can find numerous restaurants scattered throughout each quarter.

Common appetizers and quick treats may include Kibbe, an oval-shaped croquette of cracked wheat filled with meat and onions; Hummos, a chickpea paste with olive oil; Tabuleh, finely-chopped parsley with tomato and cucumber; and Tahini, a sesame seed paste with parsley, oil and garlic.

Main dishes usually consist of lamb or chicken meat with occasional beef, but never pork. Meats can be cooked in a variety of ways, but is most often cooked on a spit. Take-away restaurants offer favorites like falafel (deep-fried balls of mashed chickpeas) and shwarma (lamb grilled on a spit and eaten in flat bread).

Dessert options range from exotic or citrus fruits to sticky, sweet Middle Eastern confections. Baklava is a layered pastry filled with powdered pistachio and covered in honey or syrup. Kanafeh, a recipe that differs throughout the Middle East, is served in Jerusalem as pistachios in a crisp coating of pastry threads.

An issue that may be confusing to many travelers is the issue of Jewish dietary laws, or Kashrut. These laws state that certain meat is considered impure (anything that does not chew the cud and have a split hoof, including pork and rabbit), as well as certain types of seafood (anything without scales or fins). Animals that are permitted for consumption have been slaughtered according to Jewish religious practices and cleansed of all traces of blood before cooking, allowing the food to be declared kosher. Other complications revolve around the fact that meat and dairy products can never be eaten together in the same meal. In Jerusalem you will find that all types of restaurants can be kosher, not just Jewish ones.

Jewish Quarter
Ask if there is a discount or ask for the 'harova' discount. This is for people who are living or staying inside the Old City, but merchants don't know where you are staying or how long you have been here. If you are feeling cautious, say you are staying at the Heritage House. You can ask for the discount in English as there are many Anglophone guests and residents.

Be careful where you sit. There are dairy and meat only eating areas.

Muslim Quarter
Some of the best and cheapest falafel and shwarma joints can found on Saladin Street, just outside Damascus Gate. In addition to the restaurant listed below, there are numerous of pushcarts and stands right outside the gate serving fresh off the grill (and into a pita) food for around ₪6 a serving (usually not kosher).

There are plenty of small Arab restaurants in the Old City but in January many closed at nightfall. (They are of course Halal.)

 * The restaurant in the Austrian Hospice is reputed to be poor and pricey. (It has a nice garden though.)
 * The Arabic restaurant at the Jerusalem Hotel, and the little upstairs restaurant just round the corner from there, on Nablus Road just outside Damascus Gate, are recommended.

Drink
Coffee and tea are the two most common drinks among Jews and Arabs, although each has a preferred way of making it. In Jewish areas, coffee and tea are drunk in European or American-style cafés. Espresso is offered, but is weak compared to katzar, a stronger coffee. In Arab areas, coffee (qahweh) is served thick and strong and is meant to be consumed in small sips. If Western-style coffee is preferred, ask for Nescafé or filtered coffee. Tea (shay) is stronger than Western-style tea and is drunk with lots of sugar. If Western-style tea is preferred, ask for shay Libton (Lipton tea).

Fresh pomegranate (and grapefruit) juice is available all over the Old City. Prices start from around ₪10 (October 2018) for a 0.3 liter cup, any price beyond ₪15 (October 2018) for 0.3 liters (not 0.2) is a rip-off. The price in Hebron, by contrast, is ₪2.

Bottled water is inexpensive (usually, be careful where you buy) and readily available throughout the Old City. Carrying an extra bottle of water is recommended due to the dry, dusty climate.

Some restaurants serve alcohol. The main beers are Israeli Maccabee/Goldstar and Arab Taybeh beer. Spirits are less widely available but are commonly sold in hotel bars.

Sleep
Accommodation within the Old City itself is distinctly downmarket. Be sure to investigate people renting out private residences.

Budget
For those on a tight budget, youth hostels are ideal (although occasionally somewhat dodgy), and often the cheapest places to stay in Jerusalem. Religiously-based hospices and guest houses, located mainly near the holy sites, is a popular and inexpensive alternative to hotels. Hospices and guest houses tend to maintain stricter rules than hostels.

Splurge
The facilities in the Old City are recommended for those on a tight or mid-range travel budget. For those looking to splurge on accommodations, there are quite a few recommended locations in modern parts of the city, particularly West Jerusalem.

title: Jerusalem/Old City


text:
Jerusalem/West

West Jerusalem (also known as "New Jerusalem") represents the modern commercial heart of the city, which was the focus for development in the capital from the time of Israeli independence in 1948 to the reunification of the city with the Six Day War in 1967. However, many of the districts of West Jerusalem date back to the late 19th century when the Old City became no longer able to contain the city's increasing population.

Understand
The city center of West Jerusalem is a triangle formed by three streets: Ben Yehuda (a pedestrian mall), Jaffa (Hebrew: Yafo) on which the light rail runs, and King George (Hebrew: King George or HaMelech George) which runs perpendicular to Jaffa and carries many bus routes. The three corners of this triangle are Zion Square (see below), the light rail stop, and the  (Hebrew: Gan HaSus, after a whimsical sculpture of a horse there). West Jerusalem's shopping, hotels, nightlife, and some museums are concentrated here. This area is a 5-minute walk west of the Old City, along the light rail tracks.

Get in
See Jerusalem. When coming from the airport or other places in Israel, West Jerusalem is the first part of the city you will encounter.

Get around
The light rail line runs east-west on a single line through West Jerusalem, visiting many of the main attractions.

If you need to go somewhere far from the light rail line, buses or taxis are your best bet (depending on your budget).

Parking is in relatively short supply throughout West Jerusalem. In the city center, driving is difficult too, since streets are narrow. Within Jerusalem, taxis are a better option than a private car.

West Jerusalem is generally relatively flat (much more so than East Jerusalem), so walking is comfortable throughout it.

Drink
There is plenty of nightlife in Jerusalem. Mostly it is in the city center or the Talpiyot district. For clubs, the best way is to have a "proteksya", or connection with someone. This way of knowing someone who works at the door or a friend is the easiest and best way to have a great time in Jerusalem. In the way of a more laid-back alternative bar scene, crawl around the closely nestled joints centered around the corner of Heleni HaMaika and Monbaz.

Splurge

title: Jerusalem/West


text:
Jervis Bay

Jervis Bay is a large protected bay in Shoalhaven 120 km south of Sydney and 20 km south of Nowra. It is home to HMAS Creswell, the Australian Navy's officer training facility. Navy ships are frequent visitors to the bay with the area directly in front of Creswell off limits to the public. It is famous for its white sand beaches (reputedly the whitest in the whole world), safe swimming and snorkelling.

Understand
The area is one of the most beautiful parts of the South Coast and is an extremely popular summer destination, making it very busy in peak periods. Accommodation may be fully booked out months in advance of the Christmas/New Year period. Opportunities exist to scuba dive, fish and engage in many other water sports, beach activities, walking, and hiking as well as appreciate the diverse flora and fauna.

Huskisson is the largest town in the Jervis Bay area. It's one of those towns that would be a sleepy little village if it weren't for the short term visitors who in summer comprise about two-thirds of the population.

Vincentia is a small town in the region. It is the holiday-home capital of the South Coast, with rental cottages lining the beaches. In summer families, bikes, swimming and barbecues are the order of the day. If you expect to stay in Vincentia in the summer school holidays, it pays to be thinking about where you are going to stay the proceeding year. The best places are booked out by the same families year-on-year.

The area has significant cultural and historic interest to both the Commonwealth and Aboriginal people of Australia. In 1995 parts of the Jervis Bay National Park were granted to the Aboriginal peoples and this land was designated Booderee National Park and Booderee Botanic Gardens

Jervis Bay Marine Park covers 100 km of coast and adjacent waters, from Kinghorn Point in the north to Sussex Inlet in the south which encompasses Jervis Bay, Crookhaven Bight to the north and Wreck Bay to the south. The waters in Jervis Bay from Captains Point to the northern tip of Bowen Island are part of Booderee National Park. Dolphins & seals are a regular sight in the bay, and it is also home to a colony of fairy penguins.

Currarong is a small town but in the northern area's of Jervis Bay, 60km away from Husky by car. It's the surf capital of Jervis Bay.

Beecroft Peninsula is a military range but open to the public. Home to Point Perpendicular with near perpendicular cliffs and some torpedos that were never used for WWII.

Visitor informaton

 * visitnsw.com

By car
You can visit the area by car on a day trip from Sydney, and it takes only about 2 hours on the road each way. Canberra is slightly closer at 0.5 hours distance. It is the perfect distance for a weekend away from these cities. Huskisson is about 10-15 minutes south of Nowra on the New South Wales south coast. The turnoff is well sign posted - on the left as you travel south on the A1 Princes Highway. If you are worried about being on the wrong road, look for an emu farm on the RHS about 3 minutes along this road. After about 5 km, you will see the sign for the next turnoff - it's on the left. That takes you straight into Huskisson.

The Princes Highway is fully 4 lanes each way from Mascot to the Husky turnoff and a motorway grade route except a small section near Bomaderry, which is expected to open in 2022.

By train
is the closest train station, and journeys take about 3 hours from Sydney Central Station with a transfer at Kiama. From there it is a further 30 minutes by car or taxi to Huskisson. Nowra coaches do operate a few services from station on weekdays, and a single service each way on weekends.

By bus
There is a limited bus service (TfNSW bus route 102) from the large town of Nowra to Huskisson, Vincentia and Hyams Beach.

By plane
The closest major airports are in Sydney and Canberra.

Moruya has a small regional airport with scheduled flights from Sydney. It is 2 hours drive south.

The only airport in Jervis Bay Territory itself is for military use.

Get around
Public transport is limited, and having a car is pretty much required. There are scheduled buses between the settlements.

There is a off-road cycleway between Huskinsson and Vincentia. If you're staying along this coastal stretch, you can take the bikes and leave the car in the garage.

In Jervis Bay Territory/Booderee National Park, you distances are long, and you can not go through certain sections without a car. This is because there's some navy operations near here.

See
Jervis Bay is renowned for its white sand beaches, most notably Hyams Beach which has an official entry in the Guinness Bay of Records for the whitest beach in the world. Whale watching is also popular in Jervis Bay, as humpback whales come into the bay to rest during both their northern and southern migration. Many dolphins live in the bay.

 * Go and see some of the sea life in the bay, including dolphins, or go whale watching in the ocean during the whale season:

Huskisson, Vincentia and Jervis Bay Territory

 * Scuba dive. Huskisson has several dive operators, most near the wharf in Owen Street.
 * Beaches - Huskisson has 2 lovely beaches (one in front of the pub, Shark net beach, and the other between the two caravan parks, White Sands). There are also lots of other beaches close by. The nearby National Park (10 minutes drive) has Caves Beach for surfers; Murrays Beach for its isolation and beauty, and the chance to see fairy penguins (thank your lucky stars it's still here, it was very nearly a nuclear power plant); Green Patch for kangaroos and loads of tame parrots (you're more likely to see these around the trails in the campground than on the beach itself); Summercloud Bay for the bluest lagoon with rays and great rock walks.

Eat
Huskisson has several good eateries and a couple of ordinary ones! Again, it pays to be aware of the peak seasons, and make reservations for dinner during the summer season. The Indian and Thai are both fine.

Sleep
Holiday cottages are very popular here. They are often booked out for Christmas many months in advance.

There are also many camping sites around the bay.

Booderee National Park
See the national park website for further details, costs, etc.

There are three campgrounds in the national park. You must reserve a campsite in advance, and also check in at the Visitors Centre before setting up your site. The Christmas and Easter periods are booked as much as four months in advance. The peak period fees apply from the beginning of December until the end of the New South Wales Easter school holidays. To reserve a campsite, contact the Visitors Centre. Additionally, to enter, you'll need to pay $13 for two days. Single day tickets are not available. NSW Parks passes are also not valid in Booderee, since it is not part of NSW.

Motels
There are numerous motels in Jervis Bay.

Go next
Ulladulla is about 45 minutes south of Jervis Bay.

title: Jervis Bay