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The Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem covers the northeastern quadrant of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Old City. It’s the largest and most populous quarter.
Introduction to the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem
The Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem contains the start of the Via Dolorosa and the first seven Stations of the Cross. Until the 1929 Palestine riots, it had a mixed population of Muslims, Christians, and Jews. My experience with the Muslim Quarter is limited to the sites along the Via Dolorosa and Lions’ Gate Road. Anything in the Muslim Quarter associated with the Stations of the Cross are covered in my post on the Via Dolorosa.
Lions’ Gate
The entrance to the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem is through the Lions’ Gate. Also known as St. Stephen’s Gate or the Sheep Gate, it’s one of seven open gates on the walls of Jerusalem. The road outside the gate leads down to Gethsemane.
The Lions’ Gate was built by Süleyman the Magnificent in 1538 along with all the walls around the Old City. It’s named for the four lion reliefs on the wall above the gate. They commemorate the Ottoman victory over the Mamlukes in 1517.
Ottoman Fountain
Just inside the Lions’ Gate is a 16th century Ottoman fountain. It was one of six public water fountains commissioned by Süleyman the Magnificent. Locals called it St. Mary’s Fountain (Sebil Sit Mariam) due to its proximity to the Virgin Mary’s birthplace.
Church of Saints Joachim and Anna
We continued along Lions’ Gate Road to the Church of Saints Joachim and Anna, dedicated to the parents of the Virgin Mary. The church is administered by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Orthodox Christians believe the Virgin Mary was born in a cave underneath the church. A second cave functioned as the home of her parents. The caves are periodically open to the public, and we were able to see them on our second visit to Jerusalem.
Complex of the Church of Saint Anne
The Church of Saints Joachim and Anna is near the French Catholic complex of the Church of Saint Anne (Église Sainte-Anne), a 12th century Crusader church above the site Catholics believe the Virgin Mary was born and her parents lived. The Pools of Bethesda are situated next to the church. Adult admission is ₪12 (as of May 2024). It’s open daily except Sundays from 8am to noon and again from 2pm to 4pm. The complex is one of four properties in the Holy Land owned by France.
Church of Saint Anne
The beautiful Church of Saint Anne sits between the complex entrance and the Pools of Bethesda. It was built near the ruins of the aforementioned Byzantine church between 1131 and 1138, during the reign of Queen Melisende (1105-1161). It sits atop a grotto that Catholics believe to be the birthplace and childhood home of the Virgin Mary.
In 1187, Saladin converted the church into a madrasa. By the 15th century, it was the most prestigious school in the city. Al-Madrasa as-Salahiyya is still written in Arabic above the entrance. Later, during the Ottoman period, Christians were only allowed to enter the grotto after paying a fee.
The madrasa was eventually abandoned and the church fell into disrepair. In 1856, Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid I presented it to Napoleon III in gratitude for French support during the Crimean War. French architect Christophe-Edouard Mauss (1829-1914) was sent to Jerusalem in 1862 to carry out restoration of the church. In 1873, he discovered the ruins of the Pools of Bethesda.
The Church of Saint Anne has been administered by the Missionaries of Africa, commonly known as the White Fathers (Pères Blancs), since 1878. From 1882 to 1946, it housed a seminary for Melkite Greek Catholic priests. A bust of Cardinal Charles Lavigerie (1825-1892), the founder of the White Fathers, stands in the garden next to the church.
Features of the Church of Saint Anne
The Church of Saint Anne was built in the Romanesque style. It has three aisles with cross-vaulted ceilings supported by pillars. A statue of Saint Anne holding the Virgin Mary sits just left of the entrance. The church is considered to have perfect acoustics, and visitors are encouraged to sing to test them out.
The high altar was designed in 1950 by French sculptor Philippe Kaeppelin (1918-2011). It’s made of white stone and depicts several different scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. On the front of the altar are the Nativity (left), the Descent from the Cross (center) and the Annunciation (right); on the left side is the teaching of Mary by her mother, and on the right side her presentation in the Temple.
Crypt of the Church of Saint Anne
A stairway in the right aisle leads down to the crypt, which contains the grotto the Crusaders believed was the Virgin Mary’s birthplace. The Eastern Orthodox believe the birthplace was a bit further south in what is now a church dedicated to Saints Joachim and Anna.
There are two chapels in the crypt. One is dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and contains two icons.
Pools of Bethesda
The Pools of Bethesda were an ancient healing site in Jerusalem. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus healed a paralytic man at the site. The man had been sick for 38 years and couldn’t make his own way to the pools. John describes the pools in detail, as consisting of two basins surrounded by five porticoes. The location of the pools near the Sheep’s Gate (now the Lions’ Gate) was mentioned as well.
Origins of the Pools of Bethesda
The Pools of Bethesda date back to the 8th century BC, when a dam was built to create a reservoir for rain water. This eventually became the northern pool. A second pool was added on the south side of the dam around 200 BC. In the 1st century BC, the caves to the east of the pools were turned into baths with a religious and medical function. They sat outside the city walls of ancient Jerusalem.
Roman Period
In the middle of the 1st century, Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great, extended the city walls to include the Pools of Bethesda. Eventually, the northern pool was covered up while the southern pool continued to function as a place of healing throughout the Roman period.
When Roman Emperor Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina in the 2nd century, a temple dedicated to Asclepius and Serapis was built next to the pools. There were also dwellings on the east side.
Byzantine Period
In the 5th century, a Byzantine church was constructed on the site, most likely under Bishop Juvenal (d. 458). It was called the Church of the Probatike (Church of the Sheep) and was dedicated to the Healing of the Paralytic. It sat atop the ruins of a Roman temple dedicated to Asclepius and Serapis next to the Pools of Bethesda. The church was destroyed by the Persians in 614 and later restored.
Crusader Period
In the early 12th century, the Crusaders built the smaller Church of the Paralytic on the dam separating the two pools. The Church of Saint Anne was completed nearby in 1138.
Muslim Period
In 1187, Jerusalem was conquered by Saladin (1137-1193), who converted the Church of Saint Anne into a madrasa. The Church of the Paralytic fell into ruins, and any archaeological evidence of the Pools of Bethesda was lost until the 19th century.
Excavation of the Pools of Bethesda
After the ruins were discovered in 1873, excavations were carried out by German archaeologist Conrad Schick (1822-1901). He found a large tank and confirmed it to be one of the Pools of Bethesda. Further excavations in 1964 uncovered the Byzantine and Crusader churches, the Roman temple, the second pool, and the dam separating the two pools.
A mosaic floor belonging to a chapel of the Byzantine Church of the Probatike was discovered in 1952 by Father M. Defrennes. The mosaics were damaged during the Persian sack of Jerusalem in 614. They’ve since been covered by a thick layer of fine white sand as a means of protection until they’re able to be restored. An interpretive panel includes photos of the mosaics.
Bab Hutta
Before visiting the Monastery of the Flagellation, which is the 2nd Station of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa, we passed under an arch in the Bab Hutta neighborhood. Bab Hutta, which translates to Forgiveness Gate, is one of the poorest sections of the Old City. It’s named for the a gate on the Temple Mount complex.
The Nuns Ascent
After the Monastery of the Flagellation, we saw one of the most scenic streets in Jerusalem. The Nuns Ascent is a narrow alley with set of stairs leading up to the next road. It’s got stone buildings on both sides.
Convent of the Sisters of Zion
Next is the Convent of the Sisters of Zion. It was built between 1857 and 1862 by Marie-Alphonse Ratisbonne (1814-1884), a French Jew who converted to Catholicism and became a Jesuit priest.
Church of Ecce Homo
The Convent of the Sisters of Zion includes the Church of Ecce Homo, believed to be the site where Pontius Pilate delivered his Ecce Homo speech. It was built between 1858 and 1862 along with the convent.
The apse of the church preserves the northern arch of the eastern forum gate of Aelia Capitolina. Roman Emperor Hadrian founded the colony of Aelia Capitolina atop the ruins of Jerusalem during his trip to the region in 129 and 130 AD. The Romans destroyed the city just 60 years earlier. The church was closed for the day but I was able to peek through the glass doors. I’ll try to get a better picture on my next visit.
Praetorium
Further along the road is the Praetorium, or Prison of Christ. It’s administered by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Christians believe Christ was imprisoned at the Praetorium after being taken to Caiaphas and Annas, and is where the mocking and crown of thorns took place.
The entrance to the Praetorium leads underground. The main corridor leads contains signs pointing visitors in the direction of the prisons. On the other end of the corridor is a small 18th century church. The Royal Hours on Good Friday are read there.
Prison of Barabbas and the Two Thieves
First is the prison of Barabbas and the two thieves. It’s a fairly large room down a few stairs containing rock-cut cells. Barabbas was the prisoner chosen over Jesus by the crowd to be pardoned and released at Pontius Pilate’s Passover feast. The two thieves were the other two men crucified with Jesus.
Prison of Christ
The prison of Christ is a very small room with a bench. The bench has two holes cut into it where Christ’s legs were placed. His feet were chained together underneath the bench. A mosaic above the bench depicts Christ dressed in red robes and wearing the crown of thorns, with two angels at his side.
Ancient Paving Stones
Finally, at the end of Lion’s Gate Road where the Via Dolorosa turns left, is a collection of ancient paving stones. They date back to the Second Temple period and were placed there sometime between 100 BC and 100 AD. The street was found entirely intact three meters below today’s ground level. The stones were restored and placed on today’s street between 1980 and 1981. Our guide said it’s quite possible Jesus may have walked on these stones as he carried the cross to Golgotha.
