"Beït el-Mocaddas (Jerusalem) is an illustrious and ancient city, full of ancient monuments. It bears the name of Ilia (Ælia Capitolina). Situated on a mountain easy of access on every side," (Edrisi was mistaken, or has been mistranslated), "it extends from West to East. On the West is the gate called El-Mihrab; beneath is the cupola of David (to whom God be merciful): on the East the gate called the Gate of Mercy, which is generally shut, being opened only on the Feast of Palms; to the South the gate of Seihun (Sion); on the North the gate called the Gate of 'Amud el-Ghorab. Starting from the western gate, or gate of El-Mihrab, you go in an easterly direction by a broad street, till you come to the great Church of the Resurrection, called by Mohammedans Comamé. This church is the object of the pilgrimage of Christians from all countries of the East and the West. Entering by the western door you find yourself under a cupola which covers the whole enclosure, and which is one of the most remarkable sights in the world. The church itself is beneath this door, and it is not possible to go down into the lower part of the building on this side; the descent is made on the north side by a door which opens at the top of a long staircase of thirty steps, which door is called Bâb Sitti Mariam. At the entrance of the church the spectator finds the Holy Sepulchre, a building of considerable size, with two doors, and surmounted by a cupola of very solid construction, built with admirable skill; of these two doors one, on the north side, faces the door of S. Mary, the other faces the South, and is called Bâb es-Salubié (door of the Crucifixion): on this side is the peristyle of the church, in front of which, towards the east, is another church of considerable size and note, where the Christians celebrate their holy offices and make their prayers and oblations.
"On the east of this church, by a gentle descent, you come to the prison where the Lord Messiah was confined, and to the place where he was crucified. The large dome has a circular opening to the sky, and all round it and in the interior are seen pictures representing the Prophets, the Lord Messiah, S. Mary his mother, and S. John Baptist. Among the lamps which are hung above the Holy Sepulchre are distinguished three which are of gold and are placed in a particular spot. If you leave the principal church, and turn your steps eastward, you will come to the sacred dwelling, which was built by Solomon the son of David, and was a resort of pilgrims in the time of the greatness of the Jews. This temple was subsequently taken from them, and they were driven out of it upon the arrival of the Mohammedans. Under the Moslem supremacy it was enlarged, and is (at this day) the large mosque known to Mohammedans under the name of Mesjid el-Aksa. There is none in the world which equals it in size, if you except the great mosque of Cordova in Andalusia: for, as I am told, the roof of that mosque is larger than that of Mesjid el-Aksa. To proceed, the area of this latter forms a parallelogram whose length is two hundred fathoms (ba'a) and its breadth a hundred and eighty. The half of this space, which is near to the Mihrab, is covered by a roof (or rather by a dome) of stone supported by several rows of columns, the rest being open to the sky. In the centre of the building is a large dome, known as the Dome of the Rock: it has been ornamented with arabesques in gold, and with other beautiful works, by the care of different Moslem Khalifs. Beneath this is the falling stone. This stone is of a quadrangular form like a shield, one of its extremities rising above the ground to the height of about half a fathom, the other being close to the ground; it is nearly cubical, and its breadth nearly equal to its length, that is to say, about ten cubits (Zira'a). Beneath is a cavern, or a dark recess, ten cubits long by five wide, whose height is about six feet. It is entered only by torch-light. The building contains four doors; opposite the western is seen the altar on which the children of Israel offered their sacrifices; near the eastern door is the church called the Holy of Holies, an elegant building; on the south is a chapel which was used by the Mohammedans, but the Christians made themselves masters of it by main force, and it has remained in their power up to the time of the present work (1154 A.D.). They have converted this chapel into a convent, where reside certain members of the order of the Templars, i.e. of the Servants of the House of God. Lastly, the northern door faces a garden well planted with different kinds of trees, and surrounded by columns of marble carved with much skill. At the end of the garden is a refectory for the priests, and for those who are preparing to enter the religious orders.
"Leaving this place of worship, and turning eastward, you will come to the Gate of Mercy, shut, as we have just said, but near it is another gate by which you can go in or out, and which is called Bâb el-Asbat (or of the tribes of Israel). Within bow-shot from the latter is a very large and very beautiful church under the patronage of S. Mary, known by the name of Djesmanié; here is the tomb (of the Virgin) in sight of the Mount of Olives, about a mile distant from Bâb el-Asbat. On the road by which this mountain is ascended is seen another church, large and solidly built, which is called the church of the Pater Noster; and on the top is a large church where men and women live a cloister life, awaiting thus the reward of heaven. On the south-east of the mountain is the tomb of Lazarus, who was raised to life by the Lord Messiah; and two miles from Mount Olivet, the village from which was brought the ass on which the Lord rode on his entry into Jerusalem; this village is now deserted and in ruins.
"It is on leaving the tomb of Lazarus that the road begins which leads to the Jordan, which river is distant a day's journey from the Holy City. Before arriving at its banks you will pass the city of Erikha (Jericho), three miles distant from the river. Near the Jordan is a large church under the patronage of S. John Baptist, served by Greek monks. The Jordan flows out of the lake of Tiberias, and empties its waters into the lake of Sodom and Gomorrah, cities which the Most High drowned as a punishment for the wickedness of their inhabitants. To the south of this river is an immense desert.
"As regards the southern side of Jerusalem: leaving the city by the gate of Sion, you find, at the distance of a stone's throw, the Church of Sion, a beautiful church, and fortified, where is seen the chamber in which the Lord Messiah did eat with His disciples, and also the table, which exists to this day, and is to be seen on Thursdays. From the gate of Sion you descend into a ravine well known under the name of the Valley of Gehenna (Hinnom), near which is the Church of S. Peter. In this ravine is the fountain of Selwan (Siloam), where the Lord Messiah gave sight to a blind man, who had not before known the light of day. To the south of this spring is the field which was bought by the Messiah for the burial of strangers. Not far from it are numerous dwellings cut out in the rock, and occupied by pious hermits."
Note XIII. I may mention here that one day I caused a trumpet to be played on Gihon, near the present Pool of Mamillah, and the site of the Russian buildings, and I heard it distinctly, while standing myself by the Fountain of Rogel, that is by the well situated at the S.E. extremity of the Valley of Siloam, the Bir Eyub (Well of Joab) of the Arabs; while, on changing the position of the player, by sending him more to the N.W., I heard nothing. Accordingly I can confirm in every respect the Bible account (1 Kings i. 41), that Adonijah heard the festive cries of the people and the sound of the trumpets which welcomed the coronation of Solomon.
NOTES TO CHAPTER III.
Note I. The Haram es-Sherîf cannot be visited without the permission of the Pasha, the Governor of the city, which, though almost always granted, may be delayed for some days. The Pasha himself never gives permission to enter the sacred enclosure without having first submitted the question to the Council of the Effendis, who always give their consent, not of their own free will, but through fear of displeasing him who makes the request. When all this is arranged, it rests with the keeper of the Haram to appoint the time for the visit: the time fixed is always in the morning, because the place is then almost deserted, and visitors can converse without fear of disturbing the devotion of the worshippers. Travellers must apply for the permission in question, through their respective consulates, and every visitor has to pay a fee to the keeper and to the escort of police who accompany him, to protect him from any insult, which at times would be sure to arise on the part of some bigoted Mohammedan. The payment is fixed by custom at twenty francs. When the visitors do not pay it themselves, the matter is arranged by their respective consuls. The Europeans who are admitted to see the Haram must provide themselves with broad Turkish slippers, or with two pieces of canvas, to cover their ordinary boots; without this precaution, they would meet with every opposition to their being admitted to the places of greater sanctity: they should be careful to carry no cigars with them, and to conduct themselves reverently, because else some complaint might be lodged against them, in which case those who came after them might, through their fault, be refused admission to the ancient summit of Moriah. I speak from experience.