ENG -- Israel - pilgrimage through Jerusalem

Pilgrimage is probably the main reason why most people choose to visit Jerusalem. In this article you can read about our experience and how you can visit holy places on your own without having to pay organized tours. No entry fee is required for any of these places, but there are many travel agencies or local guides who request smaller or larger amounts just to guide the less informed people.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

You can start the walk from the top of the Olive Mountain. Despite its name, it is rather a hill, quite easy to climb. Those with difficulty traveling can take a simple taxi. For organized tours, the only transport offered is to climb that hill, considering that, on descending and following the route on Via Dolorosa, the trip is made by foot.

About the Olive Mountain is written in the New Testament as the place where Jesus Christ spent the last nights before His death, but also the place where He ascended to heaven at 40 days from the Resurrection. Currently, there are several Churches dedicated to Ascension on the mountain.

From the Olive Mountain you can have a panoramic view of the ancient fortress of Jerusalem, bordered by the Western Wall, which is also known as the Wailing Wall. The golden cupola in the picture is called Dom of the Rock and is one of the oldest and most important Islamic constructions in the world. The same view can be admired from inside the Dominus Flevit church, which can be the first stop when you begin to descend the mountain. In Latin, the name "Dominus Flevit" means "The Lord Wept" and the church was built in the form of a tear to remind of the tears of Jesus.

At the base of the Olive Mountains is the Garden of Gethsemane and, within it, the Church of All Nations. As it is written in the Bible, the Garden of Gethsemane is the place where Jesus was arrested by the Roman soldiers after he was betrayed by Judas.

At the exit of the Garden of Gethsemane, you can head to the fortress of Jerusalem and, after a short walk you can go by just a few minutes, you reach the nearest gate called the Lions' Gate.

Via Dolorosa (also known as The Way of the Cross) begins at the entrance to the old city of Jerusalem as soon as you pass through the Lions' Gate and has 14 stops (also called stations). The stops are marked with Roman numerals and have biblical meanings.

Along the route you are going to go through, you will find indications of the 14 stations on Via Dolorosa. First, after 1-2 minutes after you enter the Lions' Gate, on the left side of the road you will find a graphic legend on the wall.

The 14 stations and biblical events that took place in those places are : 

I) the judgment of Jesus by Pontius Pilate and His condemnation

II) the cross is placed on the shoulders of Jesus
On the right side of the road, over the place with the 14 charts, you will find the place where Pilate's court was in the past. There you can stop for the first 2 stations and to see a map of the route.

III) the place where Jesus falls for the first time because of the weight of the cross

IV) Jesus meets His mother
Some of the stations have only markings on the fortress walls, for others were built churches / chapels that can be visited or not according to their schedule.
Going down Via Dolorosa, when you turn left for the first time, you will see the Armenian Church, and on the surrounding wall are marked stations III and IV. To visit the chapel dedicated to the meeting between Jesus and His mother, you will have to enter the church yard and lower the stairs on the left. Here you can see the image of Jesus' first fall, next to a souvenir shop. By crossing the shop you will reach the chapel shown in the picture below.

V) Simon Crinean helps Jesus to carry the cross

VI) Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

VII) the place where Jesus falls for the second time

VIII) the meeting of Jesus with the faithful women who were crying for Him

IX) the place where Jesus falls for the third time

X) arriving at Golgotha (now inside the Holy Sepulcher Church) and stripping Jesus of His garments

XI) Jesus is nailed on the cross

XII) Jesus dies on the cross

XIII) Jesus is taken down from the cross

XIV) the tomb of Jesus (now inside a miniature church inside the Holy Sepulcher Church)

The last 5 stations of Via Dolorosa are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We recommend visiting the church in the morning or afternoon just before closing time because it is less crowded. Those who organize bus trips arrive here around lunch, so that's the time when you can hardly walk through the crowd.

Above the little church there was a hole in the ceiling about which it is said the Holy Light of the Resurrection would come during the Easter ceremony of  light up the candles.

Thank you for reaching the end of the article. In order to be informed when we publish new articles on this site, but also to see posts that are only on facebook, we invite you to like our facebook page by accessing this link : Doi plimbareti.

Other articles we have written about Israel : Israel - first impressions (it also contains details of how we arrived in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv using public transport), Israel - Dead Sea and about exploring Jerusalem as tourists.

Israel - pelerinaj in Ierusalim

Pelerinajul este, probabil, principalul motiv pentru care cele mai multe persoane aleg sa viziteze Ierusalimul. In acest articol puteti citi despre experienta noastra si despre cum puteti vizita locurile sfinte, pe cont propriu, fara sa fiti nevoiti sa platiti tururi organizate. Pentru niciunul dintre aceste locuri nu se solicita taxa de intrare dar exista numeroase agentii de turism sau ghizi locali care solicita sume mai mici sau mai mari doar pentru a-i plimba pe cei mai putin informati.

Biserica Sfantului Mormant

Puteti incepe plimbarea din varful Muntelui Maslinilor. In ciuda numelui, este mai degraba un deal, destul de usor de urcat. Cei cu dificultati de deplasare pot apela la un simplu taxi. Pentru tururile organizate, singurul transport oferit este pentru urcarea acelui deal, avand in vedere ca la coborare si in continuarea traseului, pe Via Dolorosa, deplasarea se face pe jos.

Despre Muntele Maslinilor este scris in Noul Testament ca fiind locul in care Iisus Hristos si-a petrecut ultimele noptii de dinaintea mortii Sale, dar si locul de unde s-a inaltat la cer la 40 zile de la Inviere. In prezent, pe munte exista mai multe biserici dedicate Inaltarii.

De pe Muntele Maslinilor puteti avea o priveliste panoramica a vechii cetati a Ierusalimului, marginita de Zidul de Vest, care mai este cunoscut si ca Zidul Plangerii. Cupola aurie din imagine este denumita Dom of the Rock (Cupola Stancii) si este una dintre cele mai vechi si mai importante constructii islamice din lume. Aceeasi priveliste poate fi admirata si din interiorul bisericii Dominus Flevit, care poate reprezenta o prima oprire atunci cand veti incepe sa coborati muntele. In limba latina, numele "Dominus Flevit" inseamna "Domnul a Plans", iar biserica a fost construita in forma de lacrima pentru a aminti de lacrimile lui Iisus.

La poalele Muntelui Maslinilor se afla Gradina Ghetsimani si, in interiorul acesteia, Biserica Tuturor Natiunilor. Dupa cum este scris in Biblie, Gradina Ghetsimani este locul in care Iisus a fost arestat de catre soldatii romani dupa ce a fost tradat de Iuda.

La iesirea din Gradina Ghetsimani, va puteti indrepta catre cetatea Ierusalimului si, dupa o scurta distanta pe care o puteti parcurge mergand doar cateva minute, ajungeti la cea mai apropiata poarta numita Poarta Leilor (Lions' Gate).

Via Dolorosa (sau Drumul Crucii, cum mai este cunoscut de catre credinciosi) incepe la intrarea in vechea cetate a Ierusalimului, imediat dupa ce treceti prin Poarta Leilor si are 14 opriri (numite si statii), fiecare dintre ele marcate cu cifre romane si avand semnificatii biblice.

De-a lungul traseului pe care il veti parcurge, veti gasi indicatii referitoare la cele 14 statii de pe Via Dolorosa. Pentru inceput, la 1-2 minute de mers dupa ce intrati pe Poarta Leilor, in partea stanga a drumului veti gasi o legenda grafica pe zid.

Cele 14 statii si intamplarile biblice care au avut loc in acele locuri sunt : 

I) judecarea lui Iisus de catre Pilat din Pont si condamnarea Lui

II) crucea este pusa pe umerii lui Iisus
Pe partea dreapta a drumului, vis-a-vis de locul cu cele 14 placute grafice veti gasi locul in care a fost in trecut curtea lui Pilat. Acolo va puteti opri pentru primele 2 statii si pentru a vedea o harta a traseului.

III) locul in care Iisus cade pentru prima data din cauza greutatii crucii

IV) intalnirea lui Iisus cu mama Lui
Unele dintre statii au doar marcaje pe zidurile cetatii, pentru altele fiind construite in timp biserici/capele care pot fi vizitate sau nu in functie de programul acestora.
Mergand pe Via Dolorosa, in dreptul primului viraj la stanga veti observa Biserica Armeneasca, iar pe zidul ce o inconjoara sunt marcate statiile III si IV. Pentru a vizita capela dedicata intalnirii lui Iisus cu mama Lui va trebui sa intrati in curtea bisericii, si sa coborati treptele din partea stanga. Acolo veti putea vedea imaginea ce reprezinta prima cadere a lui Iisus, langa care se afla un magazin cu suveniruri. Traversand si magazinul veti ajunge la capela din imaginea de mai jos.

V) Simon Crineanul il ajuta pe Iisus sa care crucea

VI) Veronica ii sterge fata lui Iisus

VII) locul in care Iisus cade pentru a doua oara

VIII) intalnirea lui Iisus cu femeile credincioase care plangeau pentru el

IX) locul in care Iisus cade pentru a treia oara

X) sosirea la Golgota (in prezent in interiorul Bisericii Sfantului Mormant) si dezbracarea lui Iisus de hainele Lui

XI) Iisus este batut in cuie pe cruce

XII) Iisus moare pe cruce

XIII) Iisus este dat jos de pe cruce

XIV) mormantul lui Iisus (in prezent in interiorul unui biserici in miniatura aflata in interiorul Bisericii Sfantului Mormant)

Ultimele 5 statii din Via Dolorosa sunt in interiorul Bisericii Sfantului Mormant. Va recomandam sa o vizitati dimineata sau dupa-amiaza, spre ora de inchidere pentru ca este mai putin aglomerat. Cei care fac excursii organizate cu autocarul ajung aici in jurul pranzului, asa ca atunci e perioada in care cu greu va puteti strecura prin multime.

Deasupra micii bisericute a fost lasata o gaura in tavan prin care se spune ca ar intra Lumina Sfanta a Invierii in timpul ceremoniei de aprindere a lumanarilor de Paste.

Va multumim ca ati ajuns pana la finalul articolului. Pentru a fi informati cand publicam noi articole pe acest site, dar si pentru a vedea postarile care sunt doar pe facebook, va invitam sa dati like paginii noastre de facebook accesand linkul : Doi plimbareti.

Alte articole pe care le-am scris despre Israel : Israel - primele impresii (contine inclusiv detalii despre cum am ajuns in Ierusalim si Tel Aviv folosind transportul in comun), Israel - Marea Moarta si despre experienta de turist in Ierusalim.

ENG -- Israel - exploring Jerusalem

Our holiday in Israel started in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a city that attracts many visitors, whether pilgrims or those who want to discover tourist attractions. In this article we will tell our experience as tourists, and we will write another article with useful information for pilgrims in Jerusalem.

Without knowing that Friday afternoon and Saturday in the first part of the day is Sabbath, we started our holiday on a Friday morning. Fortunately, by 12.00 we have already arrived in Jerusalem, because Friday afternoon after 14.00 public transport, shops and some restaurants are closed until Saturday night or even Sunday morning some of them.

Our accomodation was close to Jerusalem's old fortress, so the Jaffa Gate (the main entrance to the fortress in the past, and also in the present) was just a 10-minute walk away. The name of the gate and the main street of Jerusalem comes from the Jaffa port in Tel Aviv, about which we will write in a following article.

The first tourist attraction that caught our attention after we passed the Jaffa Gate was the Tower of David. Being located at the highest point of the old city, it was used in the past for defense. Currently it can be visited by tourists for a top view of the fortress.

Another gate through which Jerusalem's fortress can be entered directly into the bazaar area is Damascus Gate. There are altogether 8 gates to enter the fortress, built between the 12th and 19th centuries, and 3 other gates built in antiquity, but which are sealed.

In the old town, small shops and restaurants are not affected by the Sabbath celebration. We were surprised to discover that much of the fortress is represented by a labyrinth of bazaars that make you feel you are visiting Turkey or the Arab countries. Very few products had the prices displayed, and the negotiation are the basis of each sales. We were lost several times in the bazaar streets, but we found signs with indications for tourist attractions or friendly people who gave us directions.
As well as in other bazaars, in Jerusalem the final prices are set by negotiations between sellers and buyers. Most buyers know they can get lower prices than those originally required by sellers, but sellers know that buyers know that too☺. Thus, there may be situations when someone to be happy to buy a product at half of the asking price, but at the same time the seller is happy to have sold it at a price 2-3 times higher. For example, for a mini coin-wallet with Oriental motifs inscribed on it, some sellers asked for 20 Shekels (about 5 Euro), and it could be bought after negotiations with 10 Shekels. But on another street of bazaar, the price displayed was 5 Shekels and the seller was willing to offer 3 pieces for 10 Shekels.
Even if in the images below can not be seen, the bazaar streets are very crowded at the peak hours around lunch, being full of tourists looking for souvenirs and also full of groups of pilgrims. We photographed them during the evening, after several unsuccessful attempts during the day when it was impossible to not catch people inside pictures.

With a history of more than 2 millennia, the city of Jerusalem still houses ruins of ancient buildings. Some of them are columns that survived over time, which delimited an old "bazaar" (a commercial street) used by the Romans to sell their merchandise.

Another characteristic of the fortress is that it is divided into four districts: the Muslim quarter (the largest and most populous, including the bazaar's streets), the Christian district (including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher), the Jewish Quarter (with the Western Wall also known as Wailing Wall) and the Armenian Quarter (the smallest, including residential buildings in particular).

Walking down the old city streets we discovered a place where we could climb some roofs from where we had a panoramic view. Because of the labyrinth of the streets, but also because of the time elapsed from our visit until writing this article, we have not been able to identify it on Google maps to offer you the link. It is good to know, however, that the bazaar sellers in the area told us about that place without asking them the next day we passed there and that we also got directions from their side when we needed .

Even if the animation of the old town on Friday evening did not make you to think about the Sabbath, the crowds of people dressed in ceremony clothes heading in the same direction confirmed that the city is celebrating. They all headed for the Wailing Wall to pray. We were surprised that women and men are separated from a fence, so their access to the wall is done separately.
During Sabbath prayers, to take photo of those who pray to the wall is forbidden, but locals also use the area for celebrating events such as Bar Mizvah when professional photographers are employed and there are no restrictions for tourists. We took the picture below on a day when there was no event around the wall.
Beyond the Wailing Wall (or the Western Wall as it is called), there is the Temple Mount with Dome of the Rock, one of the most important religious sites for Islam, where tourists' access is limited to zones and hourly intervals which are not reserved for prayers.

Jerusalem is associated with religion, but the city does not just mean that. The modern area of ​​the city is full of life. When we arrived, there were street shows, and nothing makes you thinking about of the silence that was about to take place with the beginning of the Sabbath. Apart from walking down in the old city, you can visit the Mahane Yehuda Market (where you can find plenty of spices, sweets, fresh or candied fruits, vegetables, peanuts) or Mamilla Alrov, a pedestrian street where shops and restaurants can be found.
Young locals take every opportunity to celebrate in public through music and dance, as can be seen in the videos below:

You can also read about our First Impressions in Israel or about our trip to Dead Sea.

Thank you for reaching the end of the article. In order to be informed when we publish new articles on this site, but also to see posts that are only on facebook, we invite you to like our facebook page by accessing this link: Doi plimbareti.