The Old City of Jerusalem, known in Arabic as al Balda al Qadimah, is divided into four neighborhoods, each named for the ethnic and religious community that has called it home for centuries. Entering through the Jaffa Gate and walking down David Street places the Christian Quarter on your left. Continue along David Street and you will pass into the Armenian Quarter on your right. To the left of Jews Street lies the Muslim Quarter, and to the right, the Jewish Quarter.

The Christian Quarter , the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the scenic Muristan Square seen from the bell tower of the Lutheran Kirche of the Redeemer.

The Christian Quarter

• The Christian Quarter is the most visited quarter of the Old City.
• It is home to around forty holy sites, drawing priests and pilgrims from across the world through its narrow alleys.
• Many of the holy sites are built so close together they appear intertwined, almost indistinguishable from one another.
• The most popular starting point for Christian visitors is the Church of Saint John the Baptist.

The Church of Saint John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus Christ, in the Christian Quarter.

• The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus was crucified and buried, stands within the Christian Quarter. Read more about the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Holy Fire.

The most visited site within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: the Tomb of Jesus.

• The Christian Quarter is famous for its friendly shopkeepers, who will go to any length to make you feel welcome. They will invite you into their stores, sometimes offering cookies from a nearby bakery or freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. Read our blog on pomegranates and their religious and cultural significance in the Holy Land.

• The streets here are almost as crowded as those of the Muslim Quarter.

The Muslim Quarter

• The Muslim Quarter is the largest and most populated of the four quarters of the Old City.
• Like the Jewish Quarter, it has narrow alleyways, but the streets are far busier on account of its famous market, known in Arabic as Al Souq. The market sells everything from handmade jewelry, scarves and hookahs to Palestinian spices, authentic falafel, traditional bagels and the finest kanafeh.

The narrow alleys that lead to Temple Mount and the Souq in the evening.

Palestinian spices, authentic falafel, traditional bagels and the finest kanafeh.

• Its principal shrine is the Temple Mount, known as Haram esh Sharif, home to the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque. The Dome of the Rock marks the place where Muslims believe Muhammad ascended into Heaven, accompanied by Gabriel, and also rests over the Foundation Stone, sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike.

View of the Temple Mount and the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives in the Old City of Jerusalem, and the Dome of the Rock.

• The Muslim Quarter preserves some of the finest medieval Islamic architecture in the Holy Land.
• The Monastery of the Flagellation, where Christ was scourged by Roman soldiers before His Crucifixion, lies within the Muslim Quarter. It is the first station of the Via Dolorosa, the first of the fourteen Stations of the Cross. Remarkably, the first seven stations wind through the Muslim Quarter, while the final five are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter. For this reason, many shops owned by Muslims sell almost exclusively Christian souvenirs.

Monastery of the Flagellation on the Via Dolorosa.

• Alongside Muslim residents, Jewish families also live in this quarter.

The Jewish Quarter

• The Jewish Quarter is quieter than the other parts of the Old City.
• Its narrow alleys are lined with the homes of more than one thousand Jewish families, along with schools of Torah study, shops and restaurants.
• The Western Wall lies within this quarter. Worshippers leave prayers folded between its stones, and there are separate sections for men and women.

The Western Wall of Jerusalem and the dome of the Al Aqsa Mosque.

• The Cardo, an excavated and partially reconstructed section of the main Jerusalem thoroughfare from the Byzantine era, offers a remarkable window into the deep history of the Old City.

The Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter.

The Armenian Quarter

• The Armenian Quarter is the smallest of the four quarters.
• It is home to roughly 2,500 Armenians, an ancient community that has lived here for more than two thousand years.
• The compact size gives it a deeply ancient feel.
• The standout site is the magnificent Citadel, known as the Tower of David.

The Tower of David in the Armenian Quarter.

• The Armenian Museum and Saint James Cathedral are also found here.
• If you are searching for ceramics, this is the place to go.

Do not worry about getting confused. Let yourself wander through the labyrinthine paths of this holy place. You will know the moment you leave one quarter and enter another, because each has its own atmosphere, its own rhythm, and its own particular wonder.

Bethlehem Handicrafts , the Holy Land experience you will never forget.

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