Touring Again, Finally! Scenes from a recent Old City Tour

How wonderful. After nearly 20 months, I have actually toured the Old City with friends and international tourists. On November 1st Israel opened up its gates to vaccinated tourists. What a joy to see familiar faces and sites in the glorious November. weather. This is a great time to visit. Sites are pretty quiet and accessible and locals are happy to see tourists. I want to share some of the places we saw on our walk from the Jaffa Gate along the Ramparts to Damascus Gate - one of my favourite routes. The colours, the sights and even the smells are tangible through the wonderful pictures taken by my friend, Viva Press, who visited from Tel Aviv. Apart from the Ramparts, we wandered through the Muslim Quarter savouring the sights, tastes and smells. We toured the Haram eSharif - The Holy Sanctuary housing the beautiful 7th-century Dome of the Rock - a Muslim shrine marking the site of Mohammed's ascent to heaven, and in the Jewish tradition site of the First and Second Temples, the place of the Foundation Stone and the Binding of Isaac by Abraham. Below are views from the ramparts: the bustling market streets, fresh sesame breads and delicious foods, and views to the Western Wall and the Mount of Olives from the Haram. We ended up in the iconic Mahane Yehuda Market at Rachmo where we ate Kurdish kubeh soup. Yum! We hope to see you here soon!

HAPPY 2021 - IDEAS FOR PLACES TO VISIT ON YOUR NEXT TRIP TO ISRAEL

Now we have shut the door on 2020, we can now focus on renewed hope for travel and tourism by the second half of this year. Israel is steaming ahead with its vaccination roll out and on target to see a return to nearer normal by April. Here is an article by VIva Sarah Press about some of Israel's natural wonders No Camels. (NoCamels.com covers breakthrough Israeli innovation in tech, science, food, health, cybersecurity, clean energy, art and design and more). I hope you enjoy it. The landscapes are certainly spectacular. We are waiting for you!

CHRISTMAS 2020: JERUSALEM'S SANTA

The Old City is very quiet this year. However, if you walk down St. Peter's Street from the New Gate, and continue down the winding alleyways of the Christian Quarter to the junction of St. Peter's Street and the Latin Patriarchate Road, you will soon hit "Santa Lane" where this December you can find the festively decorated Santa's House.

Issa Kassissieh, outside Santa's House
December 2020

For three years, Palestinian Catholic and well-know former local basketball player Issa (Jesus) Kassissieh, has been dressing up as the Jerusalem Santa and decorating his family's traditional 14th century home.

This year Santa is needed more than ever. 

Kassassieh, 42, says, "I try to bring happiness, even when I can't give a hug. When I talk to the children I see they need this in this situation. A smile, a nice word - they are very happy for that. Anyone can put on a red suit, but if you don't do it from the heart, you can't bring the miracle of Santa."

In better years, he has given his Santa a local twist by trading in the reindeer for a borrowed camel he rides in the Old City to the delight of locals and tourists alike.

Santa on his Camel

People of all religions visit. "I don't care who they are. My message is love and peace. Santa is for everybody."

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2021!

(Adapted from an article by Judith Sudilovsky, Catholic News Service)

Virtual Jerusalem Tour March 2020

Easter and Passover are busy tourist times in Israel. This year is different from all others. The city is empty. Tourists and their guides are at home and sites are closed.

Here you can take a tour through the beautiful but empty streets of the old city.

To paraphrase Rabbi Judah HaLevy, I am in the West but my heart is in the East

 I cannot wait to return.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2WxwZeGH-U

Looking forward to better times.

Rare color footage from 1930s casts new light on holy city

I am a fan of old black and white photographs of Jerusalem.

Inside the Jaffa Gate

The link from the YNet news site shows rare footage of Jerusalem from the 1930s as never seen before, from the lens of the Margulis family, who vacationed in the city and took with them a 16 mm camera and a newly acquired color film.  

The Jerusalem Cinemateque has digitized the rare photographs. The photos and a short film of the old city can be seen in this link: https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5569188,00.html
Note that the Holy Sepulchre was undergoing renovations after the earthquake of 1927.
Apologies for the extraneous adverts, but I think this is worth it for a rare journey to Jerusalem past.

The United Nations Headquarters in Jerusalem - Government House

Built in 1933, the former British High Commissioner's headquarters - Government House or Armon HaNatsiv in Hebrew - is an elegant, monumental building.  In Christian tradition, the site is known as the Hill of Evil Counsel, linking it to home of Caiaphas the high priest from the time of Jesus. Situated in the south of the Valley of Hinnom, it commands a superb view to the old city, Mount of Olives, Judean Desert and into Jordan.

Facade - photo Daniela Penkova

Designed by British architect Austen St. Barbe Harrison, it combines local elements and classical symmetry and bears great resemblance to the Rockefeller Museum in east Jerusalem which he also designed. Once again, he succeeds in creating a building that relates to local historical tradition, the dramatic landscapes and represents the values and culture of the British Empire of its day.

Main Guard Entrance to the compound

In 1948, the British abandoned the building handing it over to the Red Cross. After the Armistice Agreement was signed in 1949, The United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation - UNTSO - moved into the building. It also overseas the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) based on the Golan Heights. 

Having fallen into disrepair, the building recently underwent a $7 million renovation restoring it to its former glory.

Sunken Garden from the south
photo Daniela Penkova

Two weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be taken on a private tour of the building which reminded me of the YMCA on King David Street and the Rockefeller Museum. 

The simple stone interiors are grand but not overwhelming. High windows allow natural light to flood into the rooms. The most impressive room is the ballroom, which connects to the reception room and incorporates a splendid fireplace designed by Armenian ceramic artist David Ohanessian. 

View to the ballroom

The fireplace with Armenian ceramics

Ceramic detail

Facade at Dusk - photo Daniela Penkova

A Centenary of Armenian Pottery in Jerusalem - Hagop Karakashian

2019 marks the centenary of Armenian pottery in Jerusalem. In 1919, David Ohannessian and his two assistants, Megherdich Karakashian and Neshan Balian, were brought to Jerusalem by the British from Kutahya in Turkey to repair the 16th century tiles covering the Dome of the Rock. These craftsmen were glad to leave Turkey to escape persecution and settle in Jerusalem to practise the craft of making richly-colored glazed pottery.

Even though they ultimately didn't carry out the repair work on the Dome of the Rock, the British commissioned their decorative tiles to grace a number of significant public buildings erected during the Mandate Period. These include: the Rockefeller Museum, St. John's Eye Hospital on the Hebron Road, St. Andrew's Scottish Church and the American Colony Hotel.

In 1964 Stepan and Berj Karakashian established the Jerusalem Pottery workshop on the Via Dolorosa where it remained until the end of 2018. Following Stepan's death that year, his son Hagop (third generation) and his wife Tzoghig, moved the workshop and studio to the Greek Patriarch Street close to the Jaffa Gate in the Christian Quarter.

Interior - New Pottery Workshop

Their work incorporates traditional Armenian bird, animal and flower designs and biblical scenes on tiles, bowls, plates, mugs and vases.  They will also make custom-made panels for your new kitchen or bathroom.

It is always a pleasure to stop by and admire the beautiful, hand-crafted work still made in the traditional manner by the family.

Jerusalem Pottery is open daily 9:00 - 19:00 except Sunday. 3 Greek Patriarch Street. 02-6261587