Day 4: Old Jerusalem Muslim Quarter...

Just past the Western Wall is a passageway to the Muslim Quarter of Old Jerusalem. This quarter was very lively and colorful with shops selling everything from stuffed toys of American cartoon characters to belly dancing outfits to hookah pipes.

This quarter has the largest population with approximately 22,000 inhabitants. It was especially interesting to see the mix of religions; here you see a Jewish family in the foreground with a minaret of a mosque in the background. The Via Dolorosa, the path that Jesus walked carrying the cross to his crucifixion, starts in this quarter.

While the rest of the group stopped for a coffee, Linda and I did a little shopping. I was happy to find a reasonably priced silver pendant with Roman glass found in Israel; there is such an abundance of Roman glass shards that they have little value to archaeologists, but are lovely in jewelry.