Travel diaries - Jerusalem, the City of Gold

I left a piece of my heart in Jerusalem and one day, I will go back for it.

I have not been around the world yet but I feel like I can tell you that Jerusalem is one of the places you should visit before you die. True. The city is stunning and full of so much beauty, history, culture, diversity,  and so much more. It is also a living and breathing city. I mean, every day, regular people wake up in Jerusalem, go to work in Jerusalem, go to school in Jerusalem, sleep in Jerusalem. Imagine living next to all that awesomeness!

Prior to my visit, I knew very little about Jerusalem, besides what is written in the Bible. Also, I was not raised in a Catholic or Orthodox church, so I knew next to nothing about the stations of the Cross and all the Holy sites and relics in Jerusalem. So I joined a tour bus so I would learn about the city and have people to take pictures of me. The tour guide warned us that we would be walking for hours as the streets of the old city are very narrow. I like walking so initially, I did not mind. Then I found out that I had underestimated the sun. There is Abuja sun and then, there is Jerusalem sun.

Anyway, the weather was so hot that at some point, I had to lean against a wall and close my eyes to rest for a little while. I opened them to find a group of tourists/pilgrims pointing at me and the wall behind me. Startled, I quickly moved away and realised that I had innocently been leaning on the 'Hand of Christ' imprinted on the stone wall. The story is this; while Jesus was carrying the cross on the way to Golgotha, He was very hot (burning), and tired. So He stopped and rested His hand on the wall at about the same spot I was standing. His hand left a mark on the stone. That mark is today called, the Hand of Christ.

The Hand of Christ

Seventh station of the Cross

So, let me tell you a little more about Jerusalem. I only visited the old city which is the one in the Bible. Today, there is also a new city which is much bigger than the old.

Jerusalem, like life, is a city of hills and valleys. It is also a city of gold because the buildings literally shine like gold when the sun hits just right. This is because for thousands of years, every building has been built with the same 'golden Jerusalem' stone. There is even a legislation for this. This is very beautiful and even though it is very different, it reminded me of my second home, Aberdeen, where all (well almost all) the buildings were built with granite.

Jerusalem is a culturally and religiously diverse city divided into four major quarters, the Armenian, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish quarters. There are no gates between the quarters and you can practically slide from one to the other. Most of the time there is peace between the different religious and cultural groups. However, it is important to note that the police and border police are fully armed and everywhere.  Also, only a few weeks after I visited, there were riots and violence in the city.
Side note- most of the policemen and women are unbelievably young, fit and very very fine.

So what did I do in Jerusalem apart from taking a long walk? I visited the empty tomb of Christ, the church of the Holy Sepulchre, the wailing wall; I walked on the streets following the steps of Christ, shopped for souvenirs, ate 'fake' shawarma, learnt about the city and took loads of pictures.

... And I found the immovable ladder! When I took the pictures, I did not know the significance of that ladder. Just learnt that it has been in the same exact position since the 18th century! It is not glued to the wall, but cannot be moved because you need all the responsible churches to reach an agreement before you move anything in the building.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Peep the ladder beneath the middle window on the top floor.

The Church is beautiful

I feel like I need to go back to fully experience Jerusalem; I hope I do. One thing is certain though, I love Jerusalem.


Tips for when you visit
1. Be prepared to walk. Do not forget your bottle of water at home and remember to wear a hat, pair of sunglasses, comfortable clothes and shoes.
2. Do not wear shorts or sleeveless dresses because you may not be allowed to visit some of the Holy sites (but some people will not hear word)
3. In the words of my fellow Nigerians, SHINE YOUR EYE when you are buying souvenirs. The sellers will try to rob you blind and I was a victim. Insist on paying in shekels rather than dollars when you can, and always compare the prices in two or more stores before you buy anything.
4. That thing they call Shawarma is not your regular Nigerian Shawarma. You will be disappointed o.