Ramparts Walk

Gonna keep this short today - so tired! Mostly just posting photos. We hiked the perimeter of the city today by walking the ramparts of the Old City. For 15 NIS we were able to get up on the wall and walk about half way around the city from the Jaffa Gate - one of the main gates for people to enter the city all the way to the Lion's gate on the other side next to the Temple Mount. Because it is Saturday, the Temple Mount is closed and the ramparts end in a large stone wall next to the beginning of it.

 

The wall that is currently standing was built by Suleyman the Magnificent, longest reigning Emporer of the Ottoman Empire, in the 16th century (AD). It is built along and on top of the ruins of previous walls which date back to the 8th century BC. We walked from the middle of the lower portion to the middle of the upper portion. My school, just so you get on idea of how close we are to everything, is just right of the lowest righthand corner of the wall.

 

View from Jaffa Gate.

 

Jaffa Gate!

 

A piece of the wall fell off as we hauled ourselves up on it - we did NOT break the law by taking it with us. The Hinnom Valley is in the background.

 

View of the Muslim Quarter from the wall above Damascus Gate - note the Dome of the Rock in the background.

 

Grapes!

 

Roman columns along the Cardo

 

View from the school roof

 

This is my spot in the mornings to watch the sunrise, journal and read devotions. It's other people's spot during the day, but it's mine in the morning.

 

Thank you for all the emails and facebook posts saying hi or just encouraging me! I'm sorry I'm slow at responding but they mean a lot to me. I wouldn't blog so often if they didn't. Hope all is well with you. Blessings and peace.