Jerusalem is one of those rare places that one can explore for weeks without visiting the same place twice. In honour of the 40th anniversary of the city's reunification, here is list of attractions and events that can interest both visitors and residents.
Excavation of ruins from Temple Mount
In 1999, the Muslim Waqf conducted excavation and construction works in the Temple Mount. The dirt dug up, with the archeological treasures concealed in it, were spilt in the Kidron valley. That mountain of dirt turned into the central location for the study of the history of Temple Mount since the area was never properly archeologically investigated.
In 2004 the dirt was transferred to the Emek Tzurim national park on the foothills of the Mount of Olives in an effort to locate remnants.
The City of David visitors' center in cooperation with Israel Nature and Parks Authority offer lay people an opportunity to participate in the sifting, excavation and classification of the findings.
The archeological team on the site holds a workshop about the history of Temple Mount. If you're not deterred by dust and are blessed with patience, you are invited to drop by and get a chance to explore bits of history; dozens of coins, jewels, and tools are waiting to be found.
Admission: 15 NIS per person.
Equal and less-equal
When was the last time you thought about the people cleaning your office, sawing your clothes or preparing your food? What are they like? How much they earn? What social conditions they enjoy? Mostly we tend to ignore injustice in our communities. This repression helps us all believe we live in a civilized, equal society.
Yet, below the surface, things are different. In every given moment, people are abused by others, sometimes right under our noses. Sometimes, we do to. The exhibition “Equal and Less Equal” features paintings, photographs and video artworks of 35 Israeli and foreign artists including Aliza Olmert, Elie Shamir, Miki Kratzman, Andreas Gursky and Peter Kogler.
The exhibit attempts to awaken the awareness and social sensitivity so frequently dulled in us, and elucidate questions relating to the labor relations prevailing in our world
Bloomfield Science Museum
Some of us regard the combination of science and fun as an oxymoron. Science museums worldwide do their best to contradict this attitude. The Bloomfield Science Museum has succeeded; it proves science can be cool if presented correctly.
"Illusions - Boggling the Mind" is new exhibit that deals with the illusive nature of our perception and tries to decipher the processes that cause them. This is the first exhibition in a series of exhibits about the brain planned featuring dozens of interactive exhibits including motion illusions, figure-and-background illusions, and physically impossible structures.
Children under 18 admitted free of charge. Bloomfield Science Museum , Jerusalem.
In honour of the 40th anniversary of the Jerusalem's reunification, the city's Municipality launched a new project – Follow your ears. Guided tours of about 80 sites on mp3 files in Hebrew and English are available for download free-of-charge at jerusalemp3.com.
The goal of the project is to allow tourists to enjoy detailed explanations of a wide variety of attractions without having to hire a tour guide.
Reproduced with permission: Ynet