Jerusalem

The famous Western Wall of Jerusalem...

The Aedicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a chapel containing the supposed tomb where many Christians believe Jesus was buried and resurrected.  (Photographs weren't allowed inside the tomb).

Temple on the Mount, the most contested site in Jerusalem.  It is somewhat controlled by the nation of Jordan though Israeli soldiers patrol the entrances, ostensibly allowing in only Muslims who are not men between the ages of 20-40.  I tried to go in through a few entrances just to see what would happen, and the Israeli soldiers sternly but friendly enough explained that there is one entrance for tourists open twice a day.  (However, they often choose not to open it up like the following morning.)  Our Jewish guide told us that Israeli Jews are not allowed to enter the Temple Mount complex, but Wikipedia says that Jews are allowed to visit, but not to pray there.  

Here you can see that the Temple Mount is located behind the Western Wall.

Anat, our OAT guide, explains history outside Old Jerusalem.

The colorful stencils on the outside of the house show others that the inhabitants of this home have completed the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca.

  

My parents in front of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

East Jerusalem

In some tunnels under Jerusalem

Christian tourists carry a cross and walk what is called the Stations of the Cross along Via Dolorosa, which recreates a path that Jesus may have walked while carrying his cross to the site of his crucifixion.

Orthodox Jews dressed in their Orthodox Jew garb are commonplace in Jerusalem.

Along the streets of Old Jerusalem you can here the muezzin calling Muslims to prayer from atop mosques like the one above mixing with hymns being sung by Christian pilgrims walking the Stations of the Cross with Orthodox Jewish children playing in the streets, three major religious groups all strongly presenting their identities side by side.  This is not to say that everything is harmonious...While we were there arsons started a fire in the bathroom of an old church in Jerusalem and I witnessed the tension of young Muslim men scowling and staring down young Israeli soldiers and also small boys screaming Allah Akhbar (God is great) at Israeli soldiers in the Muslim Quarter of Old Jerusalem.  

Lighting votive candles in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a site where many believe Jesus was crucified.

Snow in Jerusalem!

The Temple Mount seen through an archway in East Jersualem

View of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives