I remember that sleeping in Neve Yaakov was as simple as taking your clothes off and pulling a sheet over you. Last night it didn’t work quite as well because the window next to my bed let in a stiff, chill breeze. Didn’t hear any muezzin either.
Went to the Holy Sepulchre, and followed a little bent old lady in black as she crossed herself, knelt and kissed each relevant part, lit a candle then hurried on to the next point. It’s an amazing church really, with steps leading up and down to different chapels in different styles, but you don’t get any focus; there are none of the usual rows of pews (the organ looks defunct) and the sepulchre itself, although crowned by the big dome, still seems to have ended up there accidentally.
The Jewish quarter is very smart, it must be really nice to live there. Policemen were wandering aournd HaKotel preventing people from taking photos. Quite a sight actually, all the beards and tefillim. There was also a noticeboard advertising public talks on Israel and America, Women, etc. which would be really interesting, and almost every day.
From Christian to Jewish to Armenian Quarter. I’d never seen anything here before, and apparently it’s because they don’t encourage it, and the buildings are based around courtyards so you only ever see their backs, and rarely any people. The museum was in a lovely tumble down old building with trees growing in the central yard around which was a balcony, and old art/decorative objects scattered everywhere –doors, vases, carvings, gates. And the exhibits were logical and thorough, just slightly peely.
The Armenians’ problem was that their country lacked natural defences. They were overrun by Hittites, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Mameluks, and Ottomans. Only in 70 BC were they actually themselves a major power (under Tigran). In ancient times they worshipped fire (feminine)and water (masculine) divinities, until Gregory the Illuminator converted them to Christianity. They built fortress-like churches from the orange, yellow and black volcanic rock, and developed a seminary in Jerusalem.
But as a Christian society in the Ottoman Empire, as it warred in Europe and Russia, the Armenians were seen as a potential source of dissension; and as the war went badly, a scapegoat. Massacres began in 1890, but April 24th 1914 is marked as the most ignominious date when Armenian intellectuals settled in Constantinople were executed. 1.5 million people died that year, deported, starved, executed. The pictures were very reminiscent of Yad Vashem, and the posed portrait of 2 soldiers with 2 severed heads on a platter the ultimate in civilized insanity. The Turkish government denies all, cites self defence and Armenian atrocities during the same period. Armenian terrorists now act in Turkey while an Independent magazine article drew attention to an apparent policy of destroying and neglecting Armenian monuments in Cilicia.
Met Eli at the Midgal Favid – History of Jerusalem museum. He was right to rave. You enter across a moat, past an open qiblah, and find yourself in an archaeological dig turned garden, enclosed by the ciy walls. The exhibits are high tec and air conditioned, the observation point gives 360 degree views (even to the Judean desert) and excellent views over the Old City (no picture!), the animated film was excellent (brilliant music). And the history itself makes quite a story, from David’s cty above the spring to the westernization in the 19th century under the Ottomans. They ignored everything after that, and closed with a terrible line about Jerusalem and Israel. They did admit Isaiah’s prophesy of “nation shall never fight nation” was not imminently to be realized.
I rediscovered the best markets, most of the way down David St from Jaffa gate, then left – parallel lines of butchers and plastic fashions. Here’s the bakery, the spice merchants and sheep heads. Here I realize the tension in me stems less from the Arab-Hew thing than from the shop keeper-tourist thing. I havne’t felt much warmth from people here until now – can’t wait until my Arabic is workable (got cheap pittas though!).
Now at the plush, terribly expensive Ramat Rachel “kibbutz” like a grand hotel, views over the wadis to the southern Arab villages, and Gilo, bristling and inhuman.
Breakfast – boiled egg, cottage cheese, soft cheese, lettuce, mayonnaise, jam, bread.