The Old City of Jerusalem is probably THE TOP ATTRACTION in the State of Israel. So what’s there to do in the Old City?
The 4 Quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem
The city is divided into 4 quarters. Here, quarters is another word for neighborhoods. They are not equal in size as you’d expect them to be, as in 4 quarters to a dollar.
The Muslim Quarter is the largest while the Armenian Quarter is the smallest. And then you’ve got the Christian Quarter and the Jewish Quarter in the middle.
The Armenian Quarter
Not only is this the smallest quarter, there’s also the least to see here. On the outskirts of the quarter there are stores, shops and restaurants. A lot of the stores sell Armenian Ceramics, which is what the Armenians here are famous for. The street signs in the old city are all of Armenian ceramics. And they’re beautiful.
There are also a few restaurants, and some souvenir shops, but that’s about it. That’s basically what there is to see in the Armenian Quarter.
This is because they don’t want all of the literally millions of people that come to see the Old City of Jerusalem each year wandering around their homes. Understandable. How would you feel if there was an endless stream of traffic, day and night, right outside your door?
So in order to prevent this, they’ve closed off most of the quarter.
Luckily, they do allow for passage through one of the alleyways of the Armenian Quarter which connects to the Jewish Quarter, and it’s a very useful shortcut. They did a lot of rearranging of their houses in order to allow for this shortcut to not interfere with their lives. They blocked off windows, sealed off doors, and rerouted pedestrian traffic within their community in order to allow for us to walk through their space.
If you want a unique souvenir, stop by one of the pottery/ceramics stores and either get something on the shelves, or you can have something custom made for you!
The Jewish Quarter
There’s a lot to see in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, so much so, that you could spend a good portion of your day here.
Let’s start with the Western Wall, since it’s the most famous.
Western Wall
The Western Wall is one of the remnants of the retaining wall of the Second Temple that King Herod built about 2000 years ago, and this is the Temple that is standing during the time of Jesus. Today when we talk about the Western Wall, or the Wailing Wall, we are talking about a very specific section of the western retaining wall from this time period.
It is a religious prayer site and so when going please be respectful and come dressed appropriately — with your shoulders and knees covered, and for women, not showing cleavage. This holds true in any holy sight, not just in Jewish ones.
One of the most popular things to do at the Western Wall, besides saying a prayer and taking a selfie, is putting a note in the wall. This note can be anything you want. From I hope my parents get me a puppu for my birthday up through a request for world peace and beyond. This is a note that only you will know the contents of. If you’re going on a Friday evening or on a Saturday, make sure you’ve pre-written your note. The Western Wall is a religious site, and going along with that come the restrictions of not using cell phones and no writing to name a few.
Other Sites in the Jewish Quarter
Next to the Western Wall is the Davidson Archaeological Center which you should definitely check out if you’re interested in Second Temple archaeology.
There’s also the Tunnel Tour, which is very popular.
If you want to see the rest of the Jewish Quarter, you have to go up a bunch of steps in order to get there. Or, start off up there and then finish off the Jewish Quarter down at the Western Wall area.
There is the Herodian Quarter, the Burnt House, and the Hurva Synagogue all just a few steps from each other.
The Four Sephardic Synagogues are also definitely worth checking out.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s more than enough to see and do in the Jewish Quarter to fill up an entire day.
But onward!
The Muslim Quarter
Right above the Western Wall you have the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
If you’re not Muslim, then you have to use the entrance next to the Western Wall, and have limited hours during which you can visit.
But it’s worth it. Even though we can’t enter the buildings, they are absolutely gorgeous from the outside, and definitely worth heading up there if your timing permits!
Once you’re done exploring the area, you can head down from any of the exists. I recommend heading down through the Cotton Gate, which brings you directly into the marketplace.
The Muslim quarter is dominated by the main market area. This is where you’ll want to spend your time walking between the different shops and taking a look at all the amazing things this market has to offer.
Haggle. It’s serious business here in the market of the Old City in Jerusalem.
Just keep one thing in mind: The storekeepers won’t sell you the product if they’re not making money. So don’t worry if you’ve gotten them down 50% on the price. Or even 75% down. If they’re not making money off it, they won’t sell it. So don’t feel bad doing it.
The other main attraction of the Muslim Quarter would be that this is where the Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross, starts. So if you’re Christian and wanting to walk the footsteps of Jesus, you’ll be starting here in the Muslim Quarter. And with that, there are churches and monasteries of all denominations throughout both the Muslim and Christian Quarters.
The Christian Quarter
While the highlight of the Christian Quarter would generally be considered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at the end of the Via Dolorosa, there’s so much more to see than that.
The market place from the Muslim Quarter blends into the market in the Christian Quarter, and you’ll likely switch between the two quarters without even noticing.
Again, there are so many churches you can visit in the Christian Quarter, I won’t even try to list them.
How to Get to the Old City of Jerusalem
You have a few options as to how to get here.
Both driving a car rental and public transportation are feasible options depending on where you’re staying.
I’d say that if you’re staying in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, make use of the public transportation system. If you’re staying anywhere else, drive.
Summary
This is, in a nutshell, what you do in the Old City of Jerusalem for a day.
There’s plenty to see for the 3 major religions you’ll find here, and plenty of shopping and food to be had as well.
What’s your favorite thing to do in the Old City of Jerusalem? Let me know in the comments!!