The Old City of Jerusalem

There is nowhere in the world more storied than the Old City of Jerusalem. It is one of those special places where history and myth mingle and merge into something truly unique. The city evokes a sense of time and timelessness at once, a place that is as eternal as it is ever-present. Ernest Hemingway wrote in A Moveable Feast that to go to Paris when you are young is to gain something you’ll keep with you the rest of your life.

The Old City captures that same spirit and has done so for millennia. Empires come and go but the Old City remains, a shared cultural heritage that we all keep with us.

History and Eternity: An Overview of the Old City

The Old City of Jerusalem has a story as long and storied as any in the world. It looms throughout world history, becoming a stage on which the greatest dramas in not just Jewish but the whole of world history have been enacted.

The Old City has historically been divided into four quarters:

• Jewish Quarter: Jerusalem has been the social, political, and ideological epicenter of Jewish life for thousands of years. Despite our 2000 year diaspora, Jewish life never fully left the city, always remaining vibrant within the boundaries of the Jewish Quarter. The area remains the home to the Western Wall — the remnant of the Second Temple and epicenter of Jewish religious, political, and cultural identity.
• Christian Quarter: For many Gentile tourists, this is their entry point into Jerusalem. Located near the Jaffa Gate, it is home to many of the major Christian sites in Jerusalem including the Church of St. John the Baptist and Church of the Sepulcher. The latter of these is, in Christian tradition, the site where Jesus was crucified and buried.
• Muslim Quarter: The Dome of the Rock dominates this quarter. One of the holiest sites in Islam and oldest surviving examples of classical Islamic architecture, Islamic tradition cites the place as being where Muhammad ascended to Heaven. While peace has largely prevailed of late, the site has historically seen ideological clashes and violence due to the fact that it is built atop the former site of the Second Temple.
• Armenian Quarter: Of the four quarters, the Armenian Quarter is the smallest and least modern. Armenians have played a special role in the history of the area for centuries and continue to account for one of the city’s most notable minorities. Within the Armenian Quarter’s boundaries are the Armenian Museum, Church of St. James, and Tower of David.

Apartments in the Old City

One of the most remarkable and inspiring things about the Old City is the fact that, far from being a mere tourist trap, it has remained an active center of commerce and culture thousands of years after its birth. Metropolitan life continues to flourish in the area, including many nearby apartment complexes. Most notably, the King David Residence at 14-16 King David Street provides incredible views of the Old City with modern amenities, allowing you the best of both worlds during your stay in Jerusalem. If you are looking for apartments for rent in Jerusalem, you can hardly do better.

By booking one of these King David apartments, you’ll be able to see Jerusalem’s architecture, landscape, and history unfold before you every sunrise.