Enter Through The Lion’s Gate

The Center of the Religious World

The mere mention of the name Jerusalem is enough to ignite that spark in a person’s eyes.  For centuries pilgrims of many faiths have defied the elements to journey to this mythic city. The ancient stone which was laid well before the time of David is cemented together by the blood of the crusaders and martyrs who died trying to lay claim to Al-Quids. To this day, the significance of Jerusalem has not diminished. There are those who would still gladly give up their lives if it meant to preserve the sacrality of this city.

While exploring the old city of Jerusalem you may be unable to find that sense of peace and tranquility you have been searching for. Rather than being at one with God, you will be elbowing your way through Christians and Jews from around the world as you try and enter a religious site that was only meant to accommodate a handful of people. Many devotees can be heard cursing and fighting their way into a church to attempt to praise their God, unaware of the fact that the swears lashed out would make their prayers be in vain.

Looking to travel elsewhere in the Middle East? Check out our guide to Lebanon!

A City Divided

The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into islands (quarters). It is quite obvious for the traveler to notice when they have excited one religious sects dominion into the other. The Jewish Quarter, for example, beams with its newly polished sandstone buildings, state-of-the-art apartment complexes, spacious alleyways. The Muslim Quarter, in contrast, full of crumbling ancient brick, trash piling up on the streets, and graffiti on its walls.

The Lion’s Gate (Entrance to the Muslim Quarter) is so much more than a dilapidated neighborhood within the walls of Jerusalem. The streets near the Temple of the Mount possess an element that the other quarters could never dream of replicating: life. While the Christian Quarter is lined with restaurants and the immaculate Jewish Quarter many times seems devoid of people, the home of Jerusalem’s Muslims has children playing in the streets, families in the local parks, and old-timers looking to strike up a conversation.

While the other quarters have certain elements that make themselves unique, such as Orthodox Jews singing in the streets and Christians carrying crosses to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Muslim Quarter was the only place that made you feel at home and part of a family.

You can read more about the different quarters of Jerusalem here!

Christians of Jerusalem

From the second you arrive in the country it is as plain as day that the majority of the religious pilgrims in Jerusalem are Christians. This number increases tenfold if you happen to be passing through the Holy City around the time of Passover and Easter. From the first station of the cross leading all the way to the very place where Christ was crucified, you will find people of all denominations marching with crosses and banners in hand.

As mentioned before, you will most likely not find all the Christian brothers and sisters joining arms, swaying to kumbaya as they walk the very steps of their Lord and Savior. On the contrary, it would be more probable that you’d see a Catholic get in a fist fight with a Protestant over not walking fast enough than the world coming together in an act of peace. Even after entering one of the most consecrated grounds of all of Christendom, Orthodox Priests can be found throwing out Christians out of the chapel for not being of the same denomination.

You can read more on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre here!

Traveling Blind

Israel (Occupied Palestine) is a place where everyone is wearing blinders. The tourists and even the residents only see what they want to see. If you travel to the Holy Land with the intention of uncovering the truth behind the apartheid state and the oppression of the Palestinian people, then that is exactly what you are going to see. On the other hand, some travelers only see the return of a people who have suffered for centuries to their rightful, God-given homeland.

Depending on what lenses you wear while traveling through the Land of Judah, you are sure to have a significantly different experience.

If you enter through the Lion’s Gate and spend some time among the local Palestinians, you will be invited into their homes before you know it. While you sit among the olive trees sipping on tea, a barrage of rocks may fall upon you by the children of settlers standing menacingly on the top of the hill. As you are riding on the back of a motorbike along the wall dividing Israel and the West Bank, gunfire breaks out, turning you back from entering the Palestinian town of Ramallah.

As a traveler who was wanting to reach out and see Jerusalem from the perspective of the Palestinians, that’s exactly what I saw. It is a challenge for people traveling to the Holy City not to gravitate to a certain quarter if it is Christian, Jewish, or Muslim. In the end, however, it is these three different creeds that have made Jerusalem the diverse and complex place it is today.

Don’t forget to check out our Iraqi-Kurdistan travel guide here!

The Israeli Defence Force

Especially during the time of Passover, the Israeli military lends a hand in keeping the peace in the world’s most holy of cities. Charismatic, friendly, and helpful are just a few of the words that could be used to describe the police as a Western traveler. While we may be greeted with a smile, that does not mean that this same hospitality is extended to all people in Israel.

During Easter, many Palestinian Christians were barred from entering the Old City of Jerusalem. When returning through the Lion’s Gate on the back of a motorcycle, rows of Muslim men were found praying in the streets since the IDF (Israeli Defence Force) refused them access to Al-Aqsa Mosque. As the bearded fathers and grandfathers were being spat on and cursed by the soldiers in fatigues, young children began to hurl stones at the police. As a result, many of the youth were detained.

Israel is a land of controversy where everyone likes to play the victim. Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock are located smack on top of the holiest site in Judaism: The Second Temple. While Muslims are being denied entrance to their mosques, Jewish Rabbies see themselves returning to the Temple of David.

As a traveler, the controversies and conflicts of Jerusalem are far too big for us to weigh in on. It is inevitable that you will find yourself leaning to one side or the other. At the end of the day, it is the conversations and passion of the people of Jerusalem that makes this city the center of the world.

You can get a clearer understanding of the Temple Mount conflict here!