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Jerusalem
SEE WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LIVE LIFE
UNPLUGGED FOR 25 HOURS
The sheer number of holy sites in Jerusalem creates an
atmosphere of spirituality that inspires many visitors to
explore their own faith traditions or investigate spiritual
practice in general. Not least of all, experiencing
Jerusalem on a Saturday provides a rare chance to
see what large-scale disconnection from modern
technology looks like, with most of the city shutting
down for 25 hours in observance of the Jewish sabbath.
With nearly all commercial premises closed for the day,
an atmosphere of calm and serenity envelopes the city,
but on Saturday night Jerusalem springs into action
again, with restaurants and cafés opening and the city’s
popular Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall filling up with
students, street musicians and locals looking for a good
time. The contrast between the peace and quiet of the
sabbath and the frenetic energy that jolts the city back
to life on Saturday night is a microcosm of the extremes
that make this city such a compelling place to visit.
SEE WORLD-CLASS MUSEUMS FEATURING
ART, ARCHAEOLOGY, AND LOTS MORE
Jerusalem is home to some of Israel’s most precious
collections of art and antiquities, as well as Israel’s
premier art institute, the Israel Museum. This landmark
sits in large landscaped grounds and houses a
permanent collection that includes everything from
antiquities and Bronze Age artefacts from the biblical
era, to Postmodernist work and exhibitions from up-andcoming
artists.
Jerusalem is also home to a number of smaller
museums, such as the Museum for Islamic Art, the
Jerusalem Theatre’s galleries and the Bible Lands
Museum, which has a large collection of archaeological
finds from the ancient Egyptians, Canaanites, Philistines,
Phoenicians and Persians, among others. There are also
specialty museums such as the Children’s Museum and
the Museum of Psalms, in addition to a lively gallery
scene for contemporary artists.
Ebin Sandler is a writer and contributor to Culture Trip.
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