ISRAEL & PALESTINE __ Land of Contradictions Jerusalem

Temple Mount

Damascus Gate, one of the gates of the city walls built by the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificient

Inside the Al Aqsa Mosque

Narrow streets of the old city

Black tea with fresh mint

Western Wall (Wailing wall)

Western wall

A few of the hundred different types of halwa being sold

An old man doing his Shabbat shopping dressed in traditional Hasidic attire of black suit, with a plastic bag protecting his hat from rain

Dried onions with herbs, spices and grains used for salads and rice dishes 

Enjoying our araks at Sirtaki bar

Popular among the younger crowds for a romantic dinner date, Eldad Vezehoo restaurant

We visited the Israel Museum very first thing in Jerusalem. The gigantic museum has a very rich collection of everything from arts to history, from ethnography to archeology. You need at least two to three days to do justice to the museum but since we didn’t have so much time, were only able to reserve couple of hours to the section we would benefit the most while sightseeing, the Middleeastern History.  Especially visiting the etnoghraphic section feels like getting a crash course on Jewish culture and religion. After the museum we headed straight to the Old City and tried to enter to the Temple Mount to fulfill our religious obligations but the complex was closed to the non-Muslims for the next four days. As we were going back in deep disappointment, Senem and Aysun suddenly discovered the Muslim living within them, deep inside their souls, and decided to go in. As three sinful nonbeliever men we were enjoying our mint tea and hookah when we noticed our two faithful ladies having an argument with the guards at the gate. I was thinking that they had failed the test of faithfulness but later found out that the argument was over their seductive outfits. They were allowed to go in once they covered the tight jeans they were wearing that would arouse every single male around them. Life in the old city comes to an end very early especially in the short winter days. Therefore we headed over to the lively markets of the new city. Everyone was in a rush to get their shopping done before the Shabbat started, which is when the Jewish are prohibited by their religion from engaging in any activity that quallifies as work. Mahane Yehuda, in which all sorts of produce is sold, is the ideal place to explore different products and to be part of the Shabbat rush. After walking around a bit we stopped by a bar called Sirtaki that was a small place to have a quick drink on the run, nestled in between the shops in the market. Settling in at a table placed right in the market we people watched and enjoyed the hustle and bustle while sipping our date and fig flavored araks…

 (arak is a spirit made from distilled grapes flavored with anise)