|
|
| WhereToGo in Palestine! |
Damascus Gate (Bab El Amoud)
Damascus Gate is the largest of the Old City's seven gates. The steps leading down to the gate, renovated in recent years, form an amphitheater where people just sit and look over the wall of the Old City and the hundreds walking in and out of the gate every day. During Ramadan, and the Muslim feasts in general, the gate is decorated with colorful bright lights and the whole area is bustling until late at night. On Fridays, the gate is packed around noontime with the thousands of Muslims coming from all over Palestine to pray in the Al Aqsa Mosque. The gate's angled entrance designed to break the path of potential attackers, leads into the main north-south artery of the Old City.
Immediately inside there are a few steps after which the road forks. To the left, Tariq Al Wad leads into the heart of the Muslim quarter. On the right, Souk Khan al Zeit separates the Muslim and Christian quarters and it is the busiest shopping street in the Old City. You can find everything from clothes to food to music and gold. Women from surrounding villages are on the sides of the street selling vegetables, as are older men and children selling all kinds of knick knacks. To walk through this street on a busy morning or afternoon can be an enjoyable experience for sightseeing and a relaxed pace, but rather frustrating if you are in a rush. At the end of this street the road forks again taking you to the Christian quarter on the right and to Souk al Attarin (herbs and spices market) straight on.