Jerusalem

Usually, the third day of the 5-day IAEA conference is spent with tour. Various tours are offered from which participants can choose where they would spend that day. These tours feature the different tourist spots of the hosting country, which this time is Israel.



Our group chose to join the tour on Eternal Jerusalem and Bethlehem. This post features the first part of our tour in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.

photo credit to pedro dyliacco

This is Sophie, our tour guide, holding the banner for our tour.

photo credit to pedro dyliacco

Posing with my officemates in this photo (from left to right): Ms. Angel, my immediate boss, TDS Head; Mam Noi, CEM President at the same time IAEA President; and Sir Peewee, Database Administrator and the unofficial photographer of 2013 IAEA Conference. ^_^

photo credit to pedro dyliacco

 That time, three buses were about to take us to Jerusalem.  The first one was immediately occupied by the Nigerians.  This photo was taken while waiting for our bus ride. 

JERUSALEM

Holy to Jews, Chriatians and Muslims, Jerusalem is overflowing with sites of intense religious importance.

This shot was taken while I was inside the bus - first glimpse of Jerusalem. 

A street shot of a walking Jew in traditional clothes.

One of the art structures found at the new city of Jerusalem, a menorah above the Star of David.

Mount of Olives

Mt. Olives offers a big slice of biblical history and some spectacular views of Jerusalem to visitors. It is also known as the world's oldest continually used cemetery.

Mount of Olives is said to be the place where the dead have lined up for a first shot at redemption after the Apocalypse.

The Garden of Gethsemane, viewed from Mt. Olives, the garden where Jesus is believed to have been arrested.  The garden also has some of the world's oldest olive trees.  Around the garden are the Church of All Nations, Church of Mary Magdalene and the Russian Chapel of Ascension, the spot from where the Russian Orthodox claims Jesus made His ascent to heaven.

The Temple Mount (viewed from Mt. Olives), known as Al-Haram ash-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and Har HaBayit (Temple Mount) to Jews, is a time-honoured privilege sanctified by thousands of pilgrims.   The Dome of Rock, the crown jewel of Israel's architectural heritage famously contains the enormous foundation stone that Jews believe is the center of the earth and Muslims say is the spot where Mohammed made his first ascent.

posted from Bloggeroid