Jerusalem - Jerusalem

Jerusalem (Hebrew: ירושלים Yerushalayim, Arabic: القدس al-Quds) lies in Israel. Despite its dubious fame as one of the focal points of the Middle East conflict (the Israeli and Palestinian claims to the city or at least the eastern districts have been a central part of the conflict for decades), the “Holy City” overwhelms with the splendor of its history and architecture and its colorful present and attracts people from all over the world.

Hardly anyone leaves this city untouched (and perhaps unchanged) in all its fascinating, but often exhausting diversity and self-contradiction, regardless of whether they are repelled by its excessive religiosity and sometimes even righteousness or overwhelmed by its mysterious flair.

Districts

As the largest city in the country, Jerusalem is made up of many - sometimes very different - districts. For the traveler, a coarser grid is sufficient for orientation.

• The heart of historic Jerusalem beats in the winding one Old town with its narrow streets, colorful markets, monasteries, synagogues, churches and mosques. It is surrounded by a wall from the 16th century, some of which can be walked on. The main attractions are the Holy Sepulcher, the west or Wailing wall and the Temple mount with the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
• East Jerusalem is influenced by Arabic, this is the one Mount of Olives (English: Mount of Olives) one of the most important tourist places.
• In West Jerusalem with its Jewish districts is the seat of the Israeli government. Here is a western-style pedestrian street, the Israeli Parliament (the "Knesset"), the Israel Museum and the Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem.
• En Kerem, a picturesque village in the far west of the city, is considered to be the birthplace John the Baptist.

background

The city is home to shrines of three religions; 64% Jews, 32% Muslims and 2% Christians currently live in its walls. It is one of the oldest cities of mankind, its history goes back more than 4000 years. At the same time, it is one of the cities that has changed the most in the last century. Its population rose from 53,000 in 1917 to over 730,000 in 2007. It is the capital of Israel, but hardly any country maintains its embassy here, the claims of ownership between Jews and Palestinian Arabs are far from clear. Nevertheless, thousands of tourists visit the city every year with its numerous cultural and religious sights.

history

Around 1004 BC. moved David, who according to the biblical account was the second king of Judah after Saul, the capital of his kingdom of Hebron to Jerusalem after the city of the Jebusites of Canaanite descent had been taken. The first settlement was in the City of David, a flat ridge south of today's Temple Mount; with the establishment of the tent sanctuary (the "tabernacle"), the city became the religious center of the Jewish people. David's son Solomon left that about 40 years later first temple build. This was 586 BC. Destroyed after the city was captured by the Babylonians, when Nebuchadnezzar II led the Jewish upper class into Babylonian captivity. After their return, from 521/515 BC. The second temple built. This was under Herod the Great from 19 BC. Chr. Fundamentally renovated. After the defeat of the Jewish side in the uprising of the Jewish-Roman war the temple was destroyed in AD 70, after the revolt of Bar Kochba uprising In 135 AD the Jews were forbidden to enter the city. Jerusalem became Roman (and was renamed "(Colonia) Aelia Capitolina"), later came under Byzantine rule. The Byzantine rulers were replaced by the Persian Sassanids as masters of Jerusalem from 614 onwards and were only able to regain power for a short time. After months of siege by an Arab army, the city came under the rule of Islam, which was establishing itself as a religion in the person of the Caliph Umar, and the first mosque was built on the Temple Mount, the first time the Jewish people received the right of return after more than 500 years to the city.

After a period of only partly peaceful coexistence of the various religions, for which all Jerusalem represented an important center, pogroms against the Jewish and Christian population broke out among the Fatimids from Egypt, in the aftermath of which a forerunner of today's Church of the Holy Sepulcher was destroyed in 1009. After the transfer of power to the Turkish-born Seljuks, despite military conflicts and negotiations with the growing Byzantine Empire, the Christian sites were only partially accessible to pilgrims, the time of the crusades began under the pretext of the "liberation of the Holy Land" City and cut down a large part of the population in a massacre, the city was raised to the center of the (Crusader) Kingdom of Jerusalem. Already in 1187 the city was conquered by Saladin, who came from Egypt, and came under the rule of the Crusaders again until this epoch came to an end in 1244. From then on, the Egyptian Islamic dynasty of the Mamluks ruled the city, and under certain discrimination and special taxes, the corresponding religion could be practiced in the Christian and Jewish quarters. The Turkish Ottomans ruled from 1515, the city received its massive fortification wall and citadel under Suleyman I. the impoverished Jewish and Christian population repeatedly suffered from reprisals.

As more and more Jews immigrated to the region from 1860 onwards, the first Jewish districts were founded in the west outside the walls of the old town. Towards the end of the First World War with the fall of the Ottoman Empire, General Allenby took possession of the city of Jerusalem for the British, after the end of the war all of Palestine came under British mandate rule according to the decision of the League of Nations.

According to the UN partition plan of 1947, Jerusalem was to come under international administration between a Jewish and an Arab state (similar to Berlin and Vienna in the post-war period). With the expiry of the British mandate on May 14, 1948, the declaration of independence from Israel on the same day and the declaration of war by the surrounding Arab states, Israel conquered the western part of the city, the old town with the Jewish quarter and the Eastern parts were conquered by Jordan. In 1950 Jerusalem was declared the capital of Israel and the eastern part was de facto annexed by Jordan. It was only after the Six Day War in 1967 that Jews were able to access the Western Wall and return to the Jewish Quarter. East Jerusalem and the Old City came under Israeli administration, while the Temple Mount was placed under the autonomy of the Waqf. After Jordan gave up its claims to the eastern part of the city in 1988, the Arabs claimed a right to Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state - this incompatibility with the declaration of undivided Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel in 1980 continues to cause political volatility.

climate

Due to its altitude and exposure to wind, the summer months in Jerusalem are less sweltering than the Mediterranean or the Jordan Valley; In the winter months there are very cool nights (pack warm clothes!) and due to the ridge location in the west up to the city there is heavy rainfall, in the "rain shadow" in the east of the city the Judean mountains are desert-like.

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mean highest air temperature in ° C	12	13	16	21	25	28	29	29	28	25	19	14	O	21.6
Mean lowest air temperature in ° C	4	4	6	9	12	15	17	17	16	14	9	6	O	10.8
Precipitation in mm	142	114	99	30	3	0	0	0	0	23	69	109	Σ	589

getting there

By plane

Jerusalem's own airport Atarot Airport (also Kalandia Airport) has been closed since the second intifada, which began in 2000; previously it was the start and destination of national flights. Today the city can only be reached via Israel's most important airport, the Ben Gurion Airport (Ben Gurion Airport), the between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem at Lod is on road 1.

The connection from the airport to Jerusalem by public transport was far from easy. The situation that the bus ride from Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem It was only possible to cope with complicated transfers and lugging luggage, has changed fundamentally in the meantime. The Bus route 485 the bus company Afikim now connects Jerusalem with the airport every hour, around the clock, but not on Shabbat. The journey takes 70 minutes, terminals 1 and 3 in Ben Gurion Airport and several stops in Jerusalem, one of which is at 31.7890935.20321 central bus station and the Jerusalem Light Rail.

The old connection with the shuttle bus of line 5 from the bus level (exit on level 2) and transferring at the "El Al Junction" to a bus in the direction of Jerusalem (including line 947) - stop on the right, in the direction of the south is still possible. The ticket bought from the bus driver at the airport is valid for the entire route and costs 22 NIS (All information as of: 03/2016).

With the start of regular operation of the new Rapid train connection between the airport train station Ben Gurion and the Jerusalem "Yitzchak Navon Train Station" will probably shift most of the traffic to the railroad.

An alternative to public transport - especially on Shabbat when public transport is idle - are shared taxis, the so-called "Scheruts". They are more expensive than public transport, but cheaper than a real taxi. Most of them are minibuses that leave the airport when all the seats are occupied; in Jerusalem one can be taken to a desired point in the city. The shared taxi costs 64 shekels (€ 16, March 2016).

By train

Since 2019 the new Rapid train connection between the newly created underground train station 31.7881735.202542 Yitzchak Navon Train Station in the center of Jerusalem after Tel Aviv with a stop on Ben Gurion Airport recorded.

Between Tel Aviv and the old train station Jerusalem Malha On the southwestern outskirts of the city, trains continue to run every 2 hours except on the Sabbath Israel Railways, one transfer at Bet Shemesh; Journey time approx. 100 minutes, price for a single journey NIS 20 (As of 2018). The route, which was planned under the Ottoman rule, winds through the valleys of the Judean mountains and is therefore very scenic.

By bus

There are minibuses from Tel Aviv that cost around 20 shekels. There are also regular buses between the Central Bus Stations of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, price about 15 shekels. The journey time is about an hour in both cases.

The bus station (stop "Central Station" of the tram) is in a shopping center diagonally across from the train station. Tickets and departures on the 2nd floor. Lockers in the basement for 10/20 shekels every 2 hours. Paid toilet on the ground floor.

Connections to the West Bank operate from the two bus stations in East Jerusalem, for example after Ramallah. With a Central European passport, you can leave and re-enter the West Bank resp. Usually possible into the Palestinian Autonomous Region, controls are carried out on re-entry and can result in time-consuming interviews. Israeli citizens with an Israeli passport are not allowed to travel to an autonomous region of Region A.

There is also no continuous bus connection Amman in Jordan. The journey by minibus, normal bus and again minibus plus waiting at the border for entry can be exhausting. When leaving Jordan (the closest crossing is the King Hussein Bridge) 8 JD are due, the minibus to the Israeli border ( Allenby) costs 3 JD, and the minibus from Allenby to Jerusalem (Damascus Gate) costs 38 shekels. However, it only runs until 1 p.m. then you have to take a taxi (about 200 shekels). When leaving Israel for Jordan, 182 shekels (!) Are collected in Allenby.

In the street

Jerusalem is on the highway 1that of Tel Aviv until Dead sea at Jericho leads. The route can be completed in 45 minutes from the airport, and the travel time is usually significantly longer due to the volume of traffic.

mobility

Jerusalem is well served by local public transport. In addition to Shabbat, there are numerous green buses operated by the bus company Egged in city traffic, they are supplemented by the trams of the Jerusalem Light Rail. Their website offers centrally detailed English information on local transport and tariffs, travel times in real time, etc.

All local transport switched to electronic tickets. You have to have the chip card Rav Nav, which works on a credit basis, buy it for 5 ₪ and then top it up at the ticket machine. There are also personalized variants with a photo, but these are more interesting for season tickets. The following are available (also in combination): single journeys, multiple journeys (2, 10, 20), week tickets and monthly tickets. The debits are made for a specific purpose, as you do not top up an amount indefinitely, but purchase trips of a certain type for a specific purpose.
When getting on, you hold the prepaid card at the bottom of the dark gray reader (in buses these are placed near the driver). A signal tone is clearly audible, and a green light flashes. Ticket controls are common.

There is a zone system, the outer areas (2 and 3) are each divided into blocks. Typical fare in Zone 1 (interior) 2019 for a single journey (90 minutes, transfer authorization bus / train) 5.90, day ticket 13 13.50, weekly ticket 64. Day ticket zones 1 2: ₪ 21.50. The day ticket Jerusalem East, at 26.50 ₪, takes you to the Dead Sea.

Checks are frequent. Fare dodging costs 180.

The environment of the Old town is accessible with various bus lines, in the old town itself there is no public transport due to the narrow streets, but it can be easily explored on foot.

The first line has been running since 2011 Jerusalem tram (Jerusalem Light Rail). The tram (all barrier-free) serves the axis Pisgat Ze'ev (East Jerusalem) ↔ Old City ↔ Jaffa Street ↔ Central Bus Station ↔ Herzlberg / Yad Vashem. It is therefore also an important means of transport for tourists who want to go from the old town to the bus station or to Yad Vashem, for example. Closing time is Friday around 3 p.m., no journeys at all on Saturday Jerusalem Light Rail were the Express bus routes 71-75 set up the articulated buses of the BRT - Bus Rapid Transit Linesbarrier-free For the most part, they travel on their own bus lanes with electronically controlled right of way over road traffic at intervals of 6-10 minutes and allow rapid progress.

Travelers entering Jerusalem buses (almost all limited barrier-free) want to use, should therefore either obtain current information on the mentioned websites of the transport companies on the Internet or inquire on site which lines go to which destinations. The routing of bus routes is changed more often. On the website of the JLR will be on the map Map bus lines The bus lines departing there are displayed at the bus stops, and lines suitable for wheelchairs are displayed.

If you want to get an overview of the most important sights by public transport, the red panorama bus is the Line 99 a good tip. On this line, Egged offers a two-hour city tour, which you can even interrupt as often as you like with the appropriate special tickets. A total of 29 points are approached in a circuit, including the Central Bus Station, Jaffa Street (with Machane Jehuda Market), various stops along the old town, the Biblical Zoo, Yad Vashem and Mt. Herzl as well as the Israel Museum and the Knesset.

Tourist Attractions

The Old town of Jerusalem was designated by UNESCO in 1981 World Heritage of Humanity explained.

Jewish landmarks

Western Wall / Wailing Wall

The Western Wall / Wailing Wall (on site Kotel or Western Wall called) is the remaining western wall of the Temple Mount after the destruction of the Second Temple and is closest to the place of the Holy of Holies in the then temple. The place in front of the western wall is a place of prayer as an "open air synagogue", you can almost always find prayer parishes there (Minyan).

Access is also open to non-Jewish tourists, but the accesses are secured with security measures similar to those in the airport (scanning of hand luggage and passing through a metal detector, identification may be required). Photography is forbidden on Sabbaths (sunset on Friday until dark on Saturday), on other days it is permitted, but out of respect, people present there should not be photographed head-on without being asked in religious practice. There is a partition (Mechiza), which is why women go to the women's part and men to the men's part of the Western Wall.

Dress code

Men with kippah (Jewish headgear) or cap or hat and long trousers, women with skirts over their knees, outer clothing closed, headgear if married. Free kippas are available to borrow at the entrance to the men's section.

synagogue

In the left corner of the western wall there is a small synagogue, which is reserved for male visitors due to the partition wall. The entrance is an inconspicuous archway in the left corner of the Western Wall. The synagogue is equipped with a library that includes a comprehensive siddur collection, several Talmud editions and also the very good English Artscroll Talmud. Most of the books were donated there.

bar mitzvah

Bar Mitzvah celebrations take place here every day (celebration on the occasion of entering religious maturity, comparable to confirmation or confirmation in Christianity), because many consider the western wall to be the most suitable place for it, as long as the temple has not been rebuilt becomes. There are some organizations that help to organize a bar mitzvah there, and rooms are also available for the subsequent family celebration.

Zedaka

On and around the Western Wall there are many scroungers who ask for a zedaka (alms), here Jewish tourists should at most give something to have made the mitzvah for today. Often the Schnorrer also offer tourists who have come to bless you in return, but it is often not worth much because the blessing person does not have sufficient kavannah (= seriousness) with them.

Chabad

"Do you already have tefillin today (Phylacteries) placed?" Chabad, a Hasidic Orthodox movement, is always trying to intensify the religiosity of the Jews. A popular action there is the public laying of tefillin, which is often a special experience for more secular Jews who seldom laid tefillin for the first and last time, for example at their bar mitzvah.

Muslim landmarks

Temple mount: At its summit there is an artificial plateau. Originally the Temple of Solomon and the subsequent Temple of Herod stood here. Today the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are located there. The Temple Mount is one of the most controversial sacred places in the world. Access to the Temple Mount is only permitted for Muslims without restrictions and is possible via 11 gates on the north and west sides of the complex. Non-Muslims can only enter the Temple Mount after strict security checks from Saturday to Thursday via the Moroccan Gate at the western wall (Mughrabi - wooden bridge from there); any behavior that suggests a Christian or Jewish practice of religion (mute lip movement, opening a book recognizable as a Bible) leads to expulsion from the Temple Mount.

Since the second Intifada 2000/05, non-Muslims have not been allowed to enter the mosques on the Temple Mount and the Waqf explicitly does not want them. Exemptions for scientific or journalistic purposes must be applied for from the Waqf management.

Visiting the Temple Mount is associated with great halachic difficulties for believing Jews, as the location of the Holy of Holies, the former temple, is not precisely known. The Holy of Holies could only be entered from Kohen Gadol and only on Yom Kippur. Therefore, believing Jews should not enter the Temple Mount in order to avoid the danger of breaking the prohibition. Provocations by the Arabs, e.g. by blowing the shofar, should be avoided under all circumstances.

Dome of the Rock in the district Old town

The Dome of the Rock is erected as a shrine over a rock from which Muhammad is said to have started his journey to heaven. According to biblical tradition, the same rock is said to be the place where Abraham should have sacrificed his son Isaac. With its large dome, which has been gilded since 1993 (the Arabic name qubbat as-sachra translated means rock dome) it dominates the old town and is one of the landmarks of the city. Unfortunately, since the 2nd Intifada, non-Muslims have been banned from entering, the same applies to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Al-Aqsa Mosque in the district Old town

The Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the third most important mosque in Islam after the al-Haram Mosque with the central sanctuary of the Kaaba in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque with the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed in Medina. Like any mosque, it is a house of prayer and worship of God. One enters a mosque without shoes and after performing the religious ablutions. There are several fountains with numerous wash basins on the Temple Mount.

Dress code: In a mosque one dresses modestly, in muted colors, whereby women should cover their hair and wear high-necked outer clothing (up to the wrists) and ankle-length skirts.

Christian landmarks

Holy Sepulcher in the district Old town

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is built over the tomb of Jesus according to the tradition of most Christian denominations. The importance of his grave is that Jesus Christ according to Christian belief, rose from the dead on the third day after his death. The grave was found empty and is in the church. The church built above the grave is a central sanctuary especially for Catholic and Orthodox Christians, but Coptic and Ethiopian Christians also have their own areas. Many visitors can be expected here during the day. Early in the morning, the church opens at 5 a.m., it is less busy. A few monasteries are attached to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Every night, some believers can lock themselves up in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (after registering with the clergyman responsible for their denomination) to quietly pray for themselves in the area assigned to them, or to watch the monks during their nightly prayers and processions. The closing ceremony (around 10 p.m.) is also admired by many tourists.

Via Dolorosa

On the Via Dolorosa, which, according to tradition, traces the last way of Jesus in 14 stations, there are many churches and chapels that are worth seeing. The entry of Jesus into the city is commemorated at the Lion Gate (Palm Sunday). Large, simple wooden crosses can also be borrowed from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for processions.

Secular landmarks

Yad Vashem

The Shoah Documentation Center Yad-Vashem serves as an eternal memory of the victims of the Shoah (Jewish term for the Holocaust) and of the inhumane crimes that the Nazis and their helpers committed against the Jews and other population groups.

The library, which also stores microfilms of the concentration camp files, serves the descendants of the victims as an invaluable source for researching the history of their families' suffering. They benefited from the fact that the National Socialists meticulously recorded every detail so that, for example, every transport can be precisely traced.

Architecturally, Yad Vaschem is very successful, as the buildings create a thoughtful, depressed mood without exaggerating and looking for gimmicky things. This is especially true for the hall in memory of the victims of the concentration camps.

The exhibition with the Hall of Names is recommended to everyone, as it documents the Shoah from many angles.

activities

shop

If you want to do a little shopping and strolling in Jerusalem, you can do so in the pedestrian zone on Ben-Jehuda-Straße (about one kilometer west of the old town, a side street of Jaffa Street). There is also a lot going on here in the evenings. The most famous market is in the old town: the narrow market streets with their colorful displays let something of the magic of the Arab bazaar emerge; many shops sell souvenirs, but also everyday items; The easiest way to get to the market lanes is via the Jaffa Gate or the Damascus Gate in the old town. Another important market is the Mahane Jehuda Market in West Jerusalem.

Souvenirs, but also food, clothes and almost all imaginable necessities are offered in the souk for those who like to haggle, which stretches in the Arab quarter of the old town from Damascus Gate to the western wall. The souk in the Arab Quarter is also the place where you can shop on Shabbat when all Jewish-owned shops are closed.

The dealers in the city have turned to Christian souvenirs and devotional items David Street here too, haggling over the price is often the order of the day, most shops are open all week long. Muslim traders close their shops during Friday prayers (around 1 pm-5pm), Christian traders are closed on Sundays.

Religious Jewish articles can be found in the shops in the Jewish Quarter on Cardo, in the Ben Yehuda Street and along the Mea Shearim Street, and the side streets that branch off from it; it goes without saying that the Shabbat rest is observed by the owners.

Groceries, fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish as well as dried fruits, nuts and sweets are available on Mahane Yehuda Market between Yafo Street and Agripas Street.

Fashion, hat and jewelry stores can be found primarily in the area of Yafo Street and King George St. in West Jerusalem.

kitchen

There are countless options for catering in the city, from simple falafel and shwarma, respectively. Kebab stalls to upscale dining restaurants. It should be noted that on Shabbat (i.e. from Friday evening until sunset on Saturday evening) all restaurants run by Jewish owners are closed. On Shabbat evening you eat with your family, travelers usually have to switch to international restaurants run by Christian or Muslim Arabs, which may have a different day of rest (see also section on Old town).

Individual restaurants are listed in the corresponding district articles.

nightlife

At the end of the Shabbat, the nightlife begins and you can go to the numerous cafes in the city.

accommodation

There are numerous accommodation options in Jerusalem, from guest houses and apartments, backpacker hostels and pilgrims' hostels to expensive star hotels. Especially during the times of the Jewish and Christian festivals, numerous accommodations are quickly booked out, so it makes sense to search and book early.

Information on the individual accommodations can be found in the district articles.

Learn

Anyone who wants to improve their Yiddish skills and is not yet a Talmid Chacham ("wise student", because one never stops learning) can do the Yeshiva, for example Machon Meir at 2 Hameiri Avenue, Kiryat Moshe, and take some shiurim (lessons). The advantage of this yeshiva is that in addition to Hebrew, English and Russian are the languages ​​of instruction and that there are lessons for adult beginners. There are also many other yeshivot of different religious directions and degrees of difficulty. There are also different ones Ulpanim (Language courses in Modern Hebrew) and of course the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. For Christian theology students here will be one year abroad offered. For example, Jewish studies with academic text work in the Talmud and Torah can be found on Pardes Institute to study. At the Hebrew University, the same is offered at a higher level.

Work

In order to be allowed to work, you have to have your status changed. A tourist visa does not entitle you to work.

security

You can move freely in West Jerusalem and the Old City, this also applies to the touristic areas of East Jerusalem. However, you have to expect that bags and identification papers will be checked when entering shopping malls or museums. This is especially true in the area of ​​the well-secured Western Wall. Even when entering from the West Bank Checkpoints have been set up on the streets, which mainly act as obstacles to traffic.

Due to the security precautions (checkpoints, metal detectors and armed police) you can feel safe in the city, otherwise there are areas in Jerusalem, as in every other big city, that you should avoid alone and especially in the dark.

health

This applies throughout Israel Medical emergency number 101 of the Israeli Magen David Adom, des Red Star of Davidto call for an ambulance.

Hospitals at university level with emergencytreatment is that

• 31.7653835.148771  Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. Tel.: 972-2-6777111, Fax: 972-2-6434434. last change: not specified
  Located on a hilltop in the green in the west of the city, it was built in 1961 as a replacement for the temporary university hospital on Mt. Scopus "in the green". In 2012, the 19-story Davidson Tower with 500 beds was put into operation.
  

The synagogue on the Ein Kerem campus is well worth a visit. It was furnished by Marc Chagall in 1962 with twelve stained glass windows depicting the twelve biblical tribes of the people of Israel. The synagogue can be visited Sun - Thu 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., it is closed for sightseeing on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.

• 31.79779135.2422732  Hadassah Mount Scopus University Hospitallast change: not specified supplies mainly East Jerusalem, but is open to the whole population. Das zwischen 1934 und 1939 erbaute Mount Scopus Hospital der Hebrew University versorgte die Bevölkerung der Stadt, bis es 1948 im Unabhängigkeitskrieg zu einer Enklave im arabischen Ostjerusalem wurde und nach einer Attacke auf einen Versorgungskonvoi geräumt werden musste. Erst nach dem Sechstagekrieg gelangte das Gebiet wieder unter israelische Kontrolle und 1975 wurde der Spitalbetrieb im heutigen 300-Betten-Haus wieder aufgenommen.

Practical advice

• 31.7767235.227833  Tourist Information Office Jerusalem, Jaffa Gate, Omar Ibn Katab Square. Tel.: 972-2-6280403, 972-2-6271422, Email: [email protected]. Geöffnet: Sa - Do 8.30 Uhr - 17.00 Uhr, Fr 8.30 Uhr - 13.00 Uhr.last change: not specified
  informiert auch über Ziele in ganz Israel, Stadtpläne erhältlich
• 31.7764535.228754  Christian Information Center, Jaffa Gate. Tel.: 972-2-6272692, Fax: 972-2-6286417, Email: [email protected]. Geöffnet: Mo, Fr 8.30 Uhr -17.30 Uhr, Sa 8.30 Uhr - 12.30 Uhr, So geschlossen.last change: not specified
  , informiert über Öffnunge- / Besichtigungszeiten der wichtigsten römisch-katholischen Kirchen, Antragsformular für Platzkarten für die Mitternachtsmesse in Bethlehem, hier sind auch Genehmigungen für Filmaufnahmen in den Heiligen Stätten zu beantragen.

For Pilger and Besucher der Heiligen Stätten von Interesse sein dürften:

• 31.7776935.226975  Lateinisches Patriarchat von Jerusalem, Latin Patriarchate St. Sitz des römisch-katholischen Patriarchen von Jerusalem.last change: not specified
• 31.7781935.228376  Griechisch-orthodoxes Patriarchat / Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Road. Tel.: 972-2-6274941, Fax: 972-2-6282048, Email: [email protected]. Sitz des griechisch-orthodoxen Patriarchen von Jerusalem, Informationen über die griechisch-orthodoxen Gotteshäuser.last change: not specified
• 31.7745935.228817  Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate, Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate Road. Tel.: 972-2-6282331, Fax: 972-2-6264861, Email: [email protected]. last change: not specified
• 31.77793335.2304748  Evangelisch-lutherische Kirche in Jerusalem, Muristan Road. Tel.: 972-2-6266800, Fax: 972-2-6276222, Email: [email protected]. last change: not specified
  als Ansprechpartner für evangelisch-lutherische Besucher in Jerusalem

miscellaneous

Die offiziellen Sprachen sind Hebräisch und Arabisch. Die meisten Einheimischen sprechen Englisch, oft kommt man auch mit Russisch zurecht. Die Leute sind insgesamt sehr freundlich und helfen einem weiter (egal ob Israeli oder Palästinenser), wo es geht, egal in welcher Sprache kommuniziert wird. Leider gibt es noch vereinzelt Israelis (auch jüngere), die nach der Feststellung, dass man Deutscher ist, ihre englischen Sprachkenntnisse vergessen, auch wenn sie vorher mit anderen Touristen englisch gesprochen haben, und nur in hebräisch oder einer anderen nicht englischen Sprache antworten.

trips

• Tel Aviv. Handelsmetropole mit intensivem Nachtleben und stadtnahen Stränden.last change: not specified
  , erreichbar per Bus oder schneller mit der im Herbst 2018 eingeweihten Schnellbahnverbindung.
• Qumran. Archäologischer Park.last change: not specified
  der israelischen Nationalparksgesellschaft, per Bus oder von der Strasse 90 aus problemlos auch mit dem Mietwagen zu erreichen.
• Masada. Auf einer Felsenklippe gelegene von Herodes errichtete Festung.last change: not specified
  , die von jüdischen Verteidigern bis zum letzten Mann verteidigt wurde.} Problemlos erreichbar von der Strasse 90 aus, Aufstieg zu Fuss oder per Luftseilbahn. Bekannt für Sonnenaufgangstouren.
• Dead Sea. Verschiedene Badeorte am Toten Meer sind von der Strasse 90 aus erreichbar, Baden an unbewachten Strandabschnitten wegen Einbruchgefahr ("Sink Holes") gefährlich!last change: not specified
  ; zu erreichen per Bus, geführter Tour oder Mietwagen ab Jerusalem in ca. 60 - 90 Minuten.

In the Westbank, d.h. im palästinensischen Autonomiegebiet gelegen und deshalb am einfachsten in geführten Gruppen zu besuchen; keine Zufahrt mit dem israelischen Mietwagen (gelbes Nummernschild), ein ostjerusalemer Mietwagen, ein Taxi oder ein Bus ab einem der beiden Ostjerusalemer Busbahnhöfe sind Anreiseoptionen.

• Bethlehem. Ort der Geburtskirche Jesu.last change: not specified
  Erreichbar per Taxi, mit dem Bus von einem Ostjerusalemer Busbahnhof oder in geführten Gruppen (u.a. von Abraham Tours).
• Jericho. Die "älteste Stadt der Erde" mit einem interessanten archäologischen Gelände.last change: not specified
• Ramallah. Hauptort des palästinensischen Autonomiegebiets, sehenswert sind der Shouk und die (provisorische) Grabstätte von Y. Arafat.last change: not specified
  . Aufgrund der politischen Isolation und geringer Besucherfrequenzen erlebt man teils kritische Reaktionen der einheimischen Bevölkerung, die im Westler mit nicht muslimischem Hintergrund gern jüdische oder amerikanische Besucher vermutet, denen man mit entsprechender Aversion begegnet.

literature

• Jerusalem: Die Biographie; Montefiore, Simon Sebag, ISBN 978-3100506115 ; ab der Besiedlung der Hügel von Jerusalem bis in die Neuzeit wird die Geschichte der Stadt unter jüdischer, christlicher, moslemischer und israelischer Herrschaft detailliert auf über 700 Seiten dargestellt, kurzer Bild- und ausgedehnter Quellenteil. Ein Schlüssel zum Verständnis des Zusammenlebens der verschiedensten Völker und Religionsgemeinschaften im engen Bereich der Jerusalemer Altstadt.
• Jerusalem City Stories; Citycat Stories, ISBN 978-965-572-545-2 ; als Arbeitsbuch mit comic-artigen Illustrationen gestalteter Stadtführer mit zahlreichen Tips, um in Jerusalem zurechtzukommen, 89 NIS, erhältlich in den meisten Buchhandlungen & Steimatzky - Filialen in Jerusalem.

Web links