The Mauristan, a Persian word meaning 'hospital' or 'hospice', has a 19th-century fountain at its centre and leads to two souqs (one full of butcher shops) that link to David St. The plaza was an urban market under the Romans. The Crusaders established churches with attached hospices here; one of them, St John the Baptist, still exists, although its hospice building is long gone. Today, lined by clothing and souvenir shops, it's a relatively relaxed and roomy place to stroll.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Four magnificent arches, their lintels richly decorated with Crusader crosses, herald the entrance to one of Christianity's most sacred sites. The church…
Temple Mount/Al Haram Ash Sharif
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There are few patches of ground as holy – or as disputed – as this one. Known to Muslims as Al Haram Ash Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as Har…
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The air is electric at Judaism's holiest prayer site, where worshippers recite scriptures, lay their hands on 2000-year-old stone and utter impassioned…
1.53 MILES
More than 5000 years of cultural treasures are assembled around the vast Israel Museum's indoor and outdoor galleries. Highlights are the titanic statues…
23.52 MILES
This reserve consists of two roughly parallel canyons, Wadi David and Wadi Arugot, each of which has its own entrance complex and ticket office. It is…
7.77 MILES
A must-see on any journey through the Holy Land is Mar Saba Monastery, a bleak and beautiful 20km drive east of Bethlehem (beyond Beit Sahour).
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As teeming with controversy as it is with ancient history, the City of David is one of Jerusalem's most active archaeological sites. The oldest part of…
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Israel's official memorial to the six million Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis is powerful, poignant and a masterpiece of design. The museum's name…
Nearby Jerusalem attractions
1. Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
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The square bell tower of this Protestant church, the second built in Jerusalem, has ornamented the Old City's skyline since 1898. The Church of the…
2. Church of St John the Baptist
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This is the oldest church in Jerusalem, built in the mid-5th century and restored after the Persians destroyed it in 614. It is accessed from Christian…
3. Church of the Holy Sepulchre
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Four magnificent arches, their lintels richly decorated with Crusader crosses, herald the entrance to one of Christianity's most sacred sites. The church…
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A trio of narrow markets near the Mauristan still inhabits the narrow alleys established here during Crusader times. The boundaries between the three…
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Sequestered on the rooftop of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, this monastery houses a few monks from the Church of Ethiopia who live among the ruins of…
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From Souq Khan Al Zeit St, south of the Via Dolorosa, a stairway to the right (west) leads to a path looping around to a Coptic church. The remains of a…
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Completed in 1849, this Gothic Anglican church has stained-glass windows decorated in Jewish symbols, and it faces Temple Mount/Al Haram Ash Sharif, as do…
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A short distance up Aqabat Al Khanqah St from Souq Khan Al Zeit St, embedded in the stone wall on the left and marked with a red sign, is the stone and…