Destination Jerusalem

As the sun set on Jerusalem, the golden Dome of the Rock towering over the Old City glistened in the night sky. I couldn’t have imagined a more spectacular setting for my arrival in the Holy City. Church spires, mosques, shrines, synagogues and ancient fortresses appeared to punctuate the heavens. It was like entering a secret world.

Sacred to three of the world’s major religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam, history shrouds Jerusalem like a mist. As I started to explore, I began to comprehend the difficulties that have scourged it since time in memorial. 

Jerusalem’s Old City is a place where medieval pushes up against the modern and your senses immediately become alive. 

Jerusalem

Going through the Jaffa Gate, one of the seven that are open – and past the magnificent Citadel, you step into a dense web of narrow alleys that snake through the bustling bazaar. An array of small shops and stalls bursting with tempting goodies ranging from jewellery to oriental carpets to spices wait to tempt you to part with your cash.

Boundaries between the Old City’s four districts merge although you are aware of cultural differences. One minute you are in the newly-reconstructed Jewish quarter, watching Hasidic Jews dressed in black going to pray, the next the Muslim quarter, mingling with Arab matriarchs doing their daily shop. In the Armenian, the smallest quarter, renowned for the beautiful St. James Cathedral, you feel as if you are in a city in a city and in the Christian part, you’ll find yourself rubbing shoulders with pilgrims on the Via Dolorosa, as they follow the steps of Jesus praying at the Stations of the Cross. Next to the eighth station is Lina. Take a break here. It serves, arguably, the best hummus in the city.

The Old City at night

The sound of hymns being sung in the churches, the sight of Orthodox Jews swaying at the Western Wall, at the foot of the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site and the distant wail of a meuezin calling Muslims to prayer in the city, where according to their faith, Mohammed rose to heaven, all added to the mystique and magic.  

I saw a woman from Uruguay burst into tears at the stone slab at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where tradition says the body of Jesus was prepared for burial. She told me she had now fulfilled her lifetime ambition: being at the place where, according to many Christians, Jesus was crucified, buried and rose again.

Another overcome with emotion fainted twice. I saw groups of men and women walking around with wooden crosses. At the women’s section of the Western Wall, while I, like so many other visitors, wedged a hand-written message in its cracks, I noticed a woman deep in prayer. That was until her mobile rang. She immediately answered it and starting talking away. God calling? 

My moment of enlightenment came as I left the Old City through the Damascus Gate. This was where modernity prevailed. The state-of-the art tram system, contemporary architecture, a modern shopping mall and amazing hotels and spas were all part of the new world that greeted me.

The Western Wall

In and around Jaffe Street, the neighbourhood’s bars and restaurants were filled with chatter and the clatter of glasses echoing through the night air. Although incredibly buzzy, a sense of calm radiated. Any other place would be dead on a Monday night, but not Jerusalem. Here the secular and the religious seemed to coexist in perfect harmony no matter what day of the week.

After dinner, we sauntered back to the hotel, soaking up the atmosphere. We encountered two Orhodox Jews busking. A large crowd, of all ages from all walks of life, gathered round to hear them sing Eric Clapton’s Tears In Heaven. The words seemed so fitting. I can still hear their voices.

A holiday romance was not what I was anticipating but it really was love at first sight. Jerusalem was a million miles away from I expected it to be. The Holy Land’s ancient capital, so full of passion, had captured my heart. One day, I hope to go back and rekindle my love affair.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

El Al offers flights from London Luton or from London Heathrow to Tel Aviv. For flights from regional airports and for best fares visit elal.uk

 

I stayed at The David Citadel Hotel thedavidcitadel.com

For more information about Israel visit new.goisrael.com

First published in All About Hair (All About Hair UK), the travel and lifestyle blog with a luxury twist