As an adventurous sagittarius, the only thing that comes to my mind on the plane of Jerusalem is “I wonder if it is a conflict?” It was. My machine in my hand, I got off the plane with excitement. While I was waiting for the vehicle to take us, I said to take a picture of the left and right They caught instantly from my neck. “Delete those photos!” said the Israeli police. They didn’t even take photos of the airport for security reasons. So what now? We couldn’t even get here, how would I do if something happened?
Haifa
The first stop is Haifa. This is the third largest city in Israel. The biggest international port is also here. The landscape of Haifa surprised me. I had a hard time believing it was a desert once. Especially when I saw the Bahá’í Gardens and Golden Dome, I wouldn’t lie if I said I swallow my little tongue.
Baha’i Gardens (Pixabay)
The symmetry of the garden, the glory of the steps, and that golden dome … The Bahais are actually very humanistic people, embracing people of all religion and race, believing that the world should be the only country. It seemed to me like they should be a little more humble. I was amazed at this poem. Apart from the Baha’i gardens and the golden dome, Haifa is a pleasant city that can be visited with its harbor, beach and museums.
Jerusalem
Let’s just come to Jerusalem. Everywhere is filled with rifles in their hands, sneakers on their feet, and pensive young soldiers in civilian clothes and sunglasses.
Military service is compulsory in Israel. Women who have reached the age of 18 are two years old and men are three years old. Of course, there are those with exemptions. For example, Israeli Arabs, pregnant or children with children or married women, orthodox religious people, etc. Jerusalem, the city that cannot be shared, they have many soldiers to protect.
Before I left, I used to know Israel as the capital of Israel, because it was used this way in many Muslim countries. But Israelis insist that the capital is Jerusalem. In fact, the vast majority of the world is also accepted. There is a huge “Jerusalem” on Google, when it searches “Israel capital”.
Jerusalem (WikimediaCommons)
When he travels to Jerusalem, he understands better why he cannot be shared. This is such a city that it should not belong to any country or religion. The world city must be the center of all religions. This is the holy land of both Christians, Muslims and Jews. The first holy temple of the Jews was built here, and the place where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected is the first qibla of the Muslims, Hz. Here is where Muhammad went to Allah. Who gives up which one?
Solomon’s Temple was the first Jewish temple in Jerusalem. The Wailing Wall is its western wall. Jews are constantly making excavations to reveal the temple of Solomon, while Masjid al-Aqsa remains inside this area, the apocalypse breaks from it. It is a wall where many people find peace and share their troubles and wishes. I wasn’t missing, of course, I immediately wrote down my wishes on a piece of paper and pinched it somewhere on the wall.
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Masjid al-Aqsa is the first Qibla of Muslims. More importantly, it is the place where Prophet Muhammad performed the inheritance from the Masjid Al-Haram (Makkah) to Masjid al-Aqsa (Jerusalem) and went to Allah’s sight. Nothing more. I have to travel.
To get in, I first got a headscarf from the bazaar. I went to the door of the Masjid Al-Aqsa, sure of myself. “What is your name?” they asked, “Bouquet” I said. They said, “You can’t enter.” How is it? Why did our group complete input not take me? They said, “You are not a Muslim.” Hoppala to! All sorts of people from all religions enter and pray in the Wailing Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, but only Muslims enter the Masjid Al-Aqsa! Do I wonder if this is happening, or if all the group I came with did not come in and believe that I was just a Muslim?
Al-Aqsa Mosque
I immediately took out my passport and said, “Look” I broke your track, I entered. But there is no free tour of the mosque. They started to explain how they were under attack as they gathered us. They tell about the persecution they experienced to everyone who entered the Masjid Al-Aqsa. They say, “The press does not write, it does not tell.” My excitement to visit Masjid Al-Aqsa suddenly turned into anxiety. The location of Masjid al-Aqsa is inside the ancient temple of Süleyman. Israelis are trying to uncover this temple by making feverish excavations, but Masjid-i Aksa is preventing it. World war begins if they wash the mosque. When they do not wash, they bring such a nose.
It is believed that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, or the Church of the Resurrection, is the place where Jesus will be resurrected for 4 centuries. The church is also located in Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified and buried. It is believed that there is the tomb of Jesus in this church. This is an important cross point for Christians. During my visit, there are people who have turned themselves white and have a symbolic grave. Look, it is a coincidence that this is at the foot of the Masjid Al-Aqsa and Wailing Wall.
Jerusalem is very valuable for all three major religions. Excitement, fear, respect, holiness, etc. one feels all at once in this city. How humanity is walking on a thin rope, how difficult but necessary it is to respect each other…
Go to Jerusalem. Whatever your religion, language, race, color, idea, go. Please go to this city where everything starts or ends, the adhan sounds are mixed with the bell, the rabbis are walking in the streets, and think about it.
This article was previously published in the Media Diary.