Sounds of the Old City Festival

In addition to music and food, Jerusalem in general and the Old City in particular have undergone significant renovations over the past year.

By MEITAL SHARABI
The annual Sounds of the Old City festival. (photo credit: PR)
The annual Sounds of the Old City festival.
(photo credit: PR)
Jerusalem has many faces, and there seem to be an endless number of festivals in this culture-rich city. The next one will be the Sounds of the Old City Festival, which will take place March 9-12 and will feature dozens of free shows and musical celebrations at sites throughout the capital’s Old City.
All the events will take place in the open air on public stages in parks and alleyways, in all four quarters of the Old City. The aim is to bring tourists to the bustling alleyways in the evenings, when shops and businesses will remain open especially for the festival.
At Jaffa Gate, visitors will already be able to feel the authentic rhythm that aims to connect Jerusalem’s history with its contemporary culture. By listening to the music playing in each quarter, they can learn about the history of all the different people who live there. Dozens of first-class musicians will participate in the festival, including Shlomi Shaban, Arkadi Duchin and Alma Zohar.
Following the circular route that leads past each of the festival events is definitely the best way to experience the evening. The tour begins in the courtyard outside Jaffa Gate, passes through the Armenian, Jewish, Muslim and Christian quarters, and then circles back to Jaffa Gate. Visitors can move from station to station and experience the eclectic culture of Old City residents. And to intensify the experience, visitors can take part in shiatsu and tuina treatments that students from the Reidman College of alternative medicine will be offering free of charge. Music from a variety of nations will be performed live in the courtyard next to Jaffa Gate. There will also be events at the Tower of David Museum and a party in the Muslim Quarter.
If you’re interested in a more in-depth tour, there will be guided tours (for a small fee), with guides from Beit Shmuel leading participants through the alleyways of the Old City.
One activity you should not miss is climbing up onto the walls surrounding the Old City and looking out from the observation points at the markets and the Western Wall. My personal favorite lookout spot is on top of the wall adjacent to the Maronite Monastery in the Christian Quarter, from which you can see out over the Arab market. To reach it, you can climb the steps that start on St. Mark’s Street where it intersects with Chabad Street.
There is no fee to enter this observation point, and it is open throughout the day.
This location offers a panoramic view of all four quarters: the Muslim Quarter, which is the largest and most densely populated; the Christian Quarter, the second-largest, most of which was built in the 19th century by various European powers; the Armenian Quarter, which is the smallest of the four; and the Jewish Quarter, which distinguishes itself with its juxtaposition of ancient and modern construction.
Another great lookout point is the Church of the Redeemer in the Christian Quarter – but keep in mind that you need to climb about 200 stairs to reach it, and entry costs NIS 15.
If you’re a tehina-lover, you shouldn’t leave the Old City before stopping by the Algabrini family’s tehina factory, which is located near the Damascus Gate where Sheikh Rihan Street crosses Mawlawiya Street. The Algabrini family loves receiving guests and explaining to them how they roast and grind the sesame seeds. The small factory, which is almost hidden from view, prepares four types of tehina and halva, as well as grape honey and sesame oil, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
If smelling the tehina has whetted your appetite, you’re in luck, because there are a number of new restaurants in the area in and around the Old City.
One is Sapori, which opened up five months ago on Keren Hayesod Street, in the location where Little Italy used to reside. Owner Moshe Peretz and chef Nikolai Kozalov have created a menu based on classic Italian cuisine with Western influences. The dairy restaurant offers excellent breakfast dishes, sandwiches and pastas.
In addition to music and food, Jerusalem in general and the Old City in particular have undergone significant renovations over the past year. One of the most notable is the renovation of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, which is just 500 meters from Jaffa Gate. The Waldorf Astoria was constructed on the skeleton of the old Palace Hotel, which was built in 1929 and was the city’s first luxury hotel.
The initiative to build a luxury hotel on this spot actually came from the Supreme Muslim Council, and Turkish architect Nahas Bey oversaw the construction. But despite the original entrepreneurs’ grand ambitions, the hotel did not turn out to be a successful venture, and the building sat empty for years. For a while it served as the premises for the Trade, Commerce and Industry Ministry. When the international Waldorf Astoria hotel chain decided to renovate the structure, they made sure to preserve the original design and character of the hotel. As a result, you can still see the authentic Turkish influence in the arches and furnishings.
As befits a luxury hotel, the staff there works hard to maintain the highest standards and most modern comforts.
Guests get to experience the exotic historical side of the hotel without giving up on any trimmings. Rooms are huge – the smallest room in the entire hotel is 37 square meters. This is extremely spacious compared to the rooms at almost all the other hotels in the capital. In order to offer the best service possible, the hotel assigns each guest a personal concierge and a tablet, which they can use to order room service, control the room’s temperature or check emails.
The hotel also boasts a ballroom which is a popular venue for visitors from Israel and abroad holding weddings and other events. Even if you can’t afford to stay overnight, I strongly recommend coming one morning and pampering yourself with a scrumptious Waldorf Astoria breakfast. 
Location: Old City, Jerusalem
Type of outing: An evening outing with the option of staying overnight
Dates: March 9-12, from 7 to 11 p.m.
Beit Shmuel tours: NIS 20 per person.
For details and reservations: 626-4488 or www.itraveljerusalem.com.
Translated by Hannah Hochner.