Jerusalem —
the holy city of three faiths
Ancient, layered, beautiful and intensely moving: Jerusalem was the spiritual heart of our nine-day pilgrimage.
The Old City
Jerusalem’s Old City contains places of profound importance to Christianity, Judaism and Islam within walking distance of one another. We explored its narrow lanes, the Western Wall, the Temple Mount area, Mount Zion and the colourful markets.
Walking the Via Dolorosa, traditionally believed to follow Jesus’ route to Calvary, brought us to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The church contains the traditional sites of both the Crucifixion and Resurrection and is one of Christianity’s holiest places.
Mount of Olives and Gethsemane
From the Mount of Olives we looked across one of the world’s most recognisable cityscapes. The pilgrimage continued to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Church of All Nations, the Chapel of the Ascension and the Church of the Pater Noster.
We also visited the Garden Tomb, another site associated by some Christians with the burial and resurrection of Jesus.
Modern Jerusalem and Yad Vashem
The itinerary also moved beyond the Old City to modern Jerusalem, including the Knesset area, the Israel Museum and Machane Yehuda Market. The market is the lively, flavour-filled counterpoint to the solemnity of the holy sites.
Our visit to Yad Vashem, Israel’s official Holocaust memorial, was powerful and essential. The exhibitions confront the history with extraordinary care and clarity.
What to know before visiting
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