Brendan Doms

We woke up early to beat the crowds to the Temple Mount. Despite this we still stood in line to go through security. Several of our group were turned away because of inappropriate dress - the culprit was cargo shorts. It's surprising to me that they showed up like that because we were told repeatedly - including the night before - that Muslim dress codes were enforced on the Temple Mount.

Once through security and at the top the first thing I noticed was the armed guards. They're state police meant to keep the peace between religions in this highly contested area. We talked to one and he was quite friendly, laughing and joking with us.

We turned our attention to the Al Aqsa Mosque, commonly considered the third holiest site in Islam. It's a long rectangular building with a dome of steel gray on top. It's notable, but not the oldest or most well known building on the Temple Mount.

We walked a short distance and up some stairs, emerging onto a flat, open plaza, its center dominated by the iconic Dome of the Rock. It's an impressive, beautiful landmark. And it's considered one of the oldest examples of Islamic architecture. The intricate script, mosaic tiles, and morning sun reflecting off the golden dome mesmerized me for some time.

The Dome of the Rock. If you didn't know - and I didn't - the "Rock" in its name is a reference to the Foundation Stone inside.

We continued on to the Pools of Bethesda, which translates as "The House of Mercy," a place of healing. It combines old stone ruins, including a cistern, and a contemporary church that was holding a service as we walked through. They seemed used to the tourists.

Just outside of the Old City we had a short ride to Mt. Zion, which is probably where the first human settlement was in the Jerusalem area. It also turned out to be the home of my favorite church of the entire trip, for purely aesthetic reasons. The Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu is covered in bright paint and flowing text telling various biblical stories. In a unique twist for the area, the words were in French. This is because the church is owned by a French order called the Assumptionist Fathers. The stained glass was amazing, second to none, and when the sun shone through the prismatic patterns were almost neon.

A look at the altar inside the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. No picture I took did the swirling colors and light of this place justice.

Then we bused to a pedestrian area in the middle of the city. We walked through some twisting streets before crossing a legitimate - although unfilled - moat into a fortress. This was the Tower of David Citadel and Museum. It was probably my favorite museum of the trip (despite the out of place Chihuly ceiling sculpture in the entrance), as it had a lot of interesting exhibits, but also one of the coolest layouts for a museum I've ever encountered. Since it's set in what is essentially a castle, the exhibit halls and rooms are set in the stone walls. The only access to these disconnected rooms is through doors in the courtyard, which is exposed to the air. So it would be miserable on a rainy day, but given the local climate that wouldn't matter most of the time and it makes for a very unique and memorable museum experience.

This is the courtyard inside the Tower of David. The exhibits are all inside doors throughout the perimeter. Finding some of the doors can feel like a discovery all on its own.

The Tower of David had some steep stairs I climbed, which rewarded me with some rare views of Jerusalem from above the buildings.

We shopped in some of the pedestrian mall market stalls before continuing to the Mt. of Olives. The main feature on this hill just outside the city is the cemetery. It instantly reminded me of the memorial in Berlin. The influence is palpable.

The cemetery on the Mt. of Olives. You might be able to see stones on top of some of the graves, which is a more common Jewish tradition than laying flowers.

As the sun was setting we made it to the Garden of Gethsemane, which was home to some twisted trees and an old church, and didn't feel much like a garden at all.

In a wall near the Garden of Gethsemane I discovered the tradition of writing down prayers and putting them inside cracks in a wall. They were right next to garbage like popsicle sticks and used tissue.

In darkness we returned to the Tower of David for a light show. To get there we had to navigate a tightly packed crowd spread throughout several streets that was watching fire poi, live music, and some Renaissance-Fair-like performers. Jerusalem really felt alive while we worked our way through that maze of people. Finally at the citadel, we sat down to watch a projection of moving pictures and words on the walls, making for a pseudo-3D movie. When we left some of the crowds had dispersed, but the streets we walked through were buzzing with conversation and culture, rife with tangible energy.