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 | Jerusalem The Quarters Reviews | Tips 31 - 40 of 42 |  |
 | |  |  | The Quarters: SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AND COVENANT OF ST MARK | |  |  | |  |
Get off the Via Dolorosa, away from the Wailing Wall and the Temple Mount. Each Quarter of the Old City has its discoveries awaiting your exploration. One such is the Church and Convent of St Mark, built in the 12th century by the Syrian Orthodox. Several traditions are linked to the site: Last Supper, baptismal site for the Virgin Mary; the site where the Holy Spirit descended from at the Pentecost; the place where St Peter came following his angelic release from prison. The church is a wonderful place of repose and reflection, away from the often hectic ecstasy occurring just outside its walls. The ancient and enduring Christian tradition in the middle East are alive and well here. Significant Christian minorities existed within the Arab World ever since the 7th century conquest. Tradition has been as important for these communities as it has been for the Moslem and Judaic. Only in recent years, with the rise of nationalism, internationalism and ultra-orthodoxism, has the heart of these ancient Arab Christian communities been threatened, whether it is from Sadeem Hussein, the resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism within Egypt or the Jewish social would-be (for some) theocracy of Israel. For a grand tour of the Arab Christian World (albeit, missing the important Nestorian and Assyrian communities - due to the fact he couldn’t travel there), read William Dalrymple’s fine ‘From the Holy Mountain; A Journey among the Christians of the Middle East’. Leave a Comment Directions: Old City JerusalemWebsite: http://sor.cua.edu/ChMon/HLand/YerusalemSMark.html
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| | | | The Quarters: Four Quarters inside the Old City | | | | | |
The Armenian Quarter is the quiet quarter of the Old City, has a soft atmosphere with priests in black robes and grey beards moving along the dark, narrow and ancient streets. Crowded under the wall of the Tower of David, this area is worth to explore for its tiny churches, ancient buildings and hidden courtyards. The Jewish Quarter is bordered by the Armenian Quarter, the Western Wall and Hashalshelet Street. Today, the area is a peaceful oasis of smart shops, synagogues, street cafes and apartments, an ideal rest stop before dropping into the chaos of the Arab Quarter. The Arab Quarter is full of chaotic sights, sounds and smells. Two streets, Souq Khan ez-Zeit and El Wad are traditional market full of hand-made tiles, pottery, leather, carvings and antiques. Some stalls sell nuts and spices. Others sell food as well. This quarter is full of people and kids are everywhere. It is very different from the other quarters, more noisy. The Christian Quarter is sited towards the northwest corner of the walled city. Is surrounded by narrow but clean streets, and the best and most popular route is by following the Via Dolorosa – or the way of the Cross. Less spiritual is the commercialism that encompasses the area, with all souvenir shops. Leave a Comment Address: Inside the walls of the Old CityDirections: Old City Jerusalem
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on September 12, 2006
Jerusalem
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