Holy Day

Today we visited churches, mosques, and synagogues, so it was a spiritual journey of sorts.

First stop, The Citadel, a fort-like structure built on one of the highest hills overlooking the city.  It was built in 1176.  Within its walls is one of the oldest mosques.

Online picture that shows the magnitude of this compound.

Mosque inside The Citadel

Me walking along the colonnade of the mosque

Then we went to St. Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church, also known as The Hanging Church because it was built far above ground over a fortress.

It was built in the 3rd century!

This was followed by a visit to St. Sergius Church, where the Holy Family was believed to have been sheltered on their trip to Egypt.  It dates back to the 4th century.

Entrance to St. Sergius Church

Sign leading the way to the crypt

Finally, we visited the Ben Ezra Synagogue.  The stone box is believed to hold the rock that Moses knelt on when he received the Ten Commandments.

This box, in the foreground, is believed to hold Moses' rock.

Again, it was mesmerizing walking along paths, and being inside buildings and structures that were thousands of years old.

Neither my words nor photographs can do justice to these historical landmarks.  And like people everywhere, I'm not sure the local folks appreciate the magnitude of their treasures.