Old City History Lesson

Schoolchildren from Ashkelon take part in an interactive puppet show/history lesson in the Old City of Jerusalem. "Reishit Yerushelayim," an organization which presents educational workshops, employs props such as the vintage clothing seen here, worn by 19th century residents of Jerusalem. Visible in the background is a replica of the menorah (candelabra) found in the two Jewish temples which stood on the Temple Mount approximately 2000 and 2500 years ago.

We find ourselves in the excavated remains of the Cardo, in a shopping district frequented by residents of Jerusalem in the days of Roman rule ca. 63 B.C.E - 313 C.E. The columns marked the entrances of individual shopping stalls. The cardo is the north-south axis of a standard Roman city. It is a myth that the word "cardo" comes for the Latin for "heart" (as in cardiologist), and means the "heart of the city". It comes from the same root as "cardinal," as in the north-south direction. The Old City today basically follows the layout of the Roman/Byzantine city built by Emperor Hadrian in the aftermath of the Jewish Revolt (ca. 70 C.E.) The Cardo went from Damascus Gate to a gate in the southern side of the city which doesn't exist anymore. The Old City (and its walls) is a nominated World Heritage Site.

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Middle East / Israel

Lat: 31° 47' 0" N
Long: 35° 13' 0" E

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Precision is: Unknown / Undeclared.

Hardware: Fuji S2, Sigma 8mm Lens. Software: Custom Photoshop stitching/blending action using Kekus Panotools plugin