The future of Arab Jerusalem

Abstract

Seen from the hills which surround it to the north, east and south, Jerusalem is visually dominated by the magnificent golden-colored dome and blue tiles of the octagonal Dome of the Rock, the nearby grey cupola of the al-Aqsa Mosque, and the spacious Haram al-Sharif which surrounds them. These are highlighted against the background of the large domes of the Holy Sepulcher and of the synagogues of the Jewish quarter, innumerable smaller domes, and the imposing Ottoman walls and characteristic light-colored stone buildings of the Old City, punctuated by minarets and church steeples. Seen thus, or seen from any of the narrow streets within its walls, Jerusalem has the unmistakable characteristics of a traditional Arab-Islamic city, encompassing and including Jewish, Christian, and earlier pagan elements. It still retains this character, in spite of the massive and hideous modern constructions which now march along the tops of many of the hills surrounding its ancient core.