Israel: a photo journal

October 2, 1997 Jerusalem: the Old City

To get to the three main religious sites in the Old City from the Jaffa Gate, you have to walk down David Street. What the guidebooks don't tell you is that David Street and its continuation, Bab al-Silsilah (Street of the Chain) are souks, which can be close and crowded, even when there are few actual shoppers around, as men loiter to talk, soldiers patrol at intersections, and children run chasing the occasional stray cat. The scents in the air are humanity and spices: saffron, pepper, cumin and paprika.

Occasionally there is the sound of a flute or a small drum, but the babble of voices predominates. The street itself is made of stone steps. Th visitor has to watch her step, because small ramps are built into the floor, one imagines, to accomodate carts and carriages.

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