The Illuminated Old City

A nighttime walk from the Kotel to the Jaffa Gate is usually a dark, twisting journey through narrow alleys and ancient cobblestone streets.  However, for two weeks, the Old City shone brightly at night.  The 'Jerusalem Festival of Lights' was an artistic display of structures in front of significant sites. 

The electronic light displays were each accompanied with music, which created a unique contrast between the neighborhood's archaic architecture and the progressive, modern beats and tunes.  This catharsis of old and new was also expressed through the architecture of the various light displays, which ranged from a structure of giant playing cards to a giant arch with Islamic designs.  The former, which graced the large open square in front of the extravagantly-rebuilt Horva Synagogue, expressed the rejuvenation of the Jewish quarter. Similarly, the mosque-like structure in front of the Jaffa Gate symbolized the multicolored identity of the Jaffa Gate section, which is a point of convergence of the Muslim, Armenian, and Jewish Quarters. 

Other displays seemed to have been designed for the purpose of humor, such as the large, florescent elephants horizontally 'climbing' the city walls through the edge of the Armenian Quarter.  An impressive lightshow across from the Migdal David fortress was a dazzling display of creativity.  The additional lights made the holy city even more magical, and put me in a spiritual mindset before I walked to Ben Yehuda Street for a delicious dinner of shawarma and french fries.  The pedestrian traffic to and from the Old City filled the stone pathway traveling to and from the gate, and the visitors then flooded the restaurants, shops, and cafes nearby the center of town.   

Shalom for now!

-Camille Pilar Phillips