Church of the Holy Sepulcher - Interior

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Yesterday I showed you a tiny piece of the Church's interior - today it's time to fill in the blanks a bit.
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(Click to enlarge all photos except this first one - I have no idea why this one alone is not clickable)

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These lamps (at least I think they're lamps) hang over the stone you see in the previous photo.

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I love all these small hanging lamps in the Orthodox section of the Church. I don't know if they have a particular religious significance (if you know please tell me, I'm curious) but they're certainly graceful to look at, especially when they're hung in large groups like these.
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No matter what your personal belief system, Jerusalem is sure to delight. Wherever you go there is something wonderful just waiting to be discovered around the next corner. Come see for yourselves one day - and then tell me about your discoveries over a cup of coffee around the island.

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Visit Mary the Teach for more ruby red goodness.

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Wall Carvings in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

During our visit to Jerusalem's Old City with our houseguest last week we visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Originally built by the mother of Emperor Constantine in 330 A.D., the Church commemorates the hill of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ's burial.
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It is also a marvelous place to photograph, with something different around every corner as each of Christianity's major streams jockeys for position. The primary custodians are the Eastern Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Roman Catholic Churches, with the Greek Orthodox Church having the lion's share. In the 19th century, the Coptic Orthodox, the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Syriac Orthodox acquired lesser responsibilities, which include shrines and other structures within and around the building. Times and places of worship for each community are strictly regulated in common areas and altercations have been known to occur when one group is perceived as having overstepped its bounds (see the section entitled "Status Quo").
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I've got some wonderful images from inside the Church which I will be sharing in the days to come, but since those are better viewed as full-color images I've chosen this bit of "graffiti" to share with you as my Monochrome Monday offering. These crosses were carved into a wall in a stairway between different sections of the building. There was no explanation, so I have no idea how long they've been there or who took the time to carve them, or for that matter whether there might have been a particular message they were meant to convey in that out of the way corner.
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I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make today's inaugural edition of Summer Stock Sunday such a terrific success. I had a great time visiting everyone and seeing what summer means to you, and look forward to seeing what you come up with next. The current linkie will be up all week, so if you want to join us come by and link your post anytime - the more the merrier.

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Welcome to Summer Stock Sunday!

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Welcome to the brand spanking new Summer Stock Sunday. Each week, beginning at midnight Saturday night Israel time, 5pm EST, we'll be sharing our quintessential summertime photos. So what says summer to you? Is it the pool? The beach? A backyard barbecue? A comfy old pair of flip-flops? Whatever summertime looks like in your corner of the world this is the place to come share it - put up your post and then come add your link to Mr. Linky. Visiting other participants is encouraged, after all, sharing is what blogging is all about.
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Summertime here in Israel means blue skies, aqua water, and days spent outside enjoying it all without fear of cold or rain. Imagine my delight yesterday when I found a way to combine all of these for my inaugural Summer Stock Sunday post during our visit to Apollonia, the ruins of a Crusader fort and city on the Mediterranean coast just north of Tel Aviv. Apollonia has been home to 2,500 years of settlement, and was the site of the decisive battle which established 100 years of Crusader rule over the region in 1191. You can read more about its history in the link above.
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Click any of the photos for a full-size view

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We were walking along the cliffside path to the site when to our surprise we saw a paraglider whoosh by overhead, and then a few seconds later another one. The real surprise though awaited us on the far side of the ruins. I've never seen so many paragliders up at once, it was really a sight to see. The bathers on the beach down below were looking up at them too.
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This guy flew close enough for me to see him grin as he sailed by.

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Here he is just a few seconds later.

It was amazing how quickly these guys moved through the sky.

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This one came so close to the cliff's edge my breath caught in my throat -

I really didn't think he'd clear it.

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I hope you enjoyed this first Summer Stock Sunday peak at a summer day here in Israel. If you did, put up a post of your own and come join in the fun. I can't wait to see what summer looks like to all of you.

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Across the Neighbor's Patio

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This is what I saw the other evening as I looked across from my patio to my neighbor's. Shame their pergola was in the way but still pretty dramatic.
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We've got a houseguest from abroad and a full schedule of plans this weekend. Hopefully we'll make it here, and possibly here. Wherever we end up I know I'll be on the lookout for that perfect Summer Stock Sunday shot for the inaugural edition on Sunday.
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Visit Skywatch Friday for hundreds of other skies around the world.
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Old City Window

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Taken in Jerusalem's Old City, just inside the Jaffa Gate.

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You know you're a blogger when you see something like this and the very first thing that passes through your mind is "hey, that's PERFECT for Mary's Window Views meme!"

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Remember, Summer Stock Sundays starts THIS Sunday, 31 May, right here at Around the Island.

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The Western Wall

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Click to enlarge

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The Western Wall, or Kotel, in Jerusalem's Old City is the holiest spot in the Jewish religion. Above it, on the site of the Holy Temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, stands the Dome of the Rock, one of Islam's holiest sights. When you add in Christianity as well is it any wonder that this tiny piece of land is one of the most hotly contested in the world?

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Visit Wordless Wednesday to see other images that speak for themselves, and remember, Summer Stock Sundays starts THIS Sunday, 31 May, right here at Around the Island.

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