Sightseeing

Today was a free day for those not taking Arabic, which I'm not. I left with a group of kids for the Temple Mount soon after breakfast. For a while it was closed to all visitors because of security reasons, but recently they have reopened it for a couple of hours a day in the morning and in the afternoon. They still don't let anyone but Muslims inside the Dome of the Rock, but anyone can wander around it. If you aren't familiar with the mount, it is where Solomon's and then Herod's Temple used to be until the Romans destroyed it in 70 AD. When the Muslims took over the city in the 7th century AD they built the Dome of the Rock on the spot where the temple used to be because that is where they believe the rock that Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac on and where Muhammed ascended into heaven is located. It is an amazingly beautiful building and can be easily seen from any window here at the center.

After seeing the Dome I went with 3 other friends to do the Rampart Walk where they let you walk around Old Jerusalem up on the walls. It was really fun and we got lots of cool pictures of stuff all over the city. Next we went back out to the east part of the city to the moneychangers to convert our dollars to sheckels and to visit Omar, one of the most well-known vendors to the BYU students. He carves all sorts of figurines out of olive wood.

Next we went back into the Old City to get falafel for lunch before wandering the city a bit until we headed over to the Church of the Holy Sepulcre, the other place in the city where people believe Jesus was crucified and buried. It is a stunning building with a high dome, vaulted ceilings, amazing mosaics.

On the way home for dinner we stopped at a candy stand and purchased some "stay awake" food for the reading we will inevitably have to complete in the near future. I am turning into an old woman. If I stay up any later than 8:30pm I think I am past my bedtime. Our days start very early each day and are always very full. Now my feet are very sore; that is what 8 hours out and about will do to you. Tomorrow is our first field trip away from the city. It will focus on the physical geography of the local area.

I'd like to note that I added a couple of links on the left to maps of the city and the land so that when I refer to places, you can reference what I am talking about. And if you didn't figure it out already, you can click on any pictures I add to see them larger.