Church of the Holy Sepulchre
It's funny that I keep visiting all these Christian holy sites with Anna, and even though she's Christian and I'm not, I'm always more impressed by them than she is. The beauty and the historical significance of the churches and sanctuaries and gardens we see, as well as by how much they mean to so many people is amazing to me, but I would have thought it would be even more impressive to her, since she has actual beliefs tied up in the things that happened here. Granted, her objections to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre are more aesthetic than anything else - she thinks some of the lamps and decorations look tacky - but Nari's the same way. They both like visiting Christian holy sites, but they're not overly interested in them.
Despite her killjoy presence (just kidding, Anna) I really do love the feel of the Holy Sepulchre Church. Even my Jewish roommate Beth said she was very moved by it. The place is controlled by Greek Orthodox priests and Franciscan friars, I believe, who have been feuding for decades if not centuries. As a result, not a lot of new renovations have been done in a while (I've even heard that the two factions can't agree on an interior decorator, but that might just be an amusing myth). I really think that only adds to its aura. I said before that it feels like some recently excavated church, and I like it that way. It's dark and dank in places, smells of old wax and old stone, and sometimes the sound of friars doing the chanting liturgy thing they do echoes around the halls. Every time you turn a corner there's some new altar to commemorate a Station of the Cross or a mosaic or painting on the wall or a small cave leading somewhere, and hundreds of oil lamps hang down from the huge vaulted cielings. It's awesome.
Some of my pictures are weirdly blurry, but I think it makes them look artistic. :) The only real story I have is when Anna and I were sitting on a bench on the raised platform where the altar over the cricifixion site is located. We were waiting for a big group of tourists to leave, and some priest (I don't know which faction he was with) was yelling at a guy who was on a cell phone, and rushing him out. On the way, he kind of tapped both Anna's and my knees really hard, and we uncrossed our legs, not knowing what he wanted but kind of reacting on reflex to having our knees whacked. He moved on, and I was bewildered, but Anna remembered you're not supposed to cross your legs at the Church of the Nativity either. Apparently it's a sign of an "outgoing woman" or something. She didn't know for sure. I thought it was funny, even though it kind of hurt. :)
Despite her killjoy presence (just kidding, Anna) I really do love the feel of the Holy Sepulchre Church. Even my Jewish roommate Beth said she was very moved by it. The place is controlled by Greek Orthodox priests and Franciscan friars, I believe, who have been feuding for decades if not centuries. As a result, not a lot of new renovations have been done in a while (I've even heard that the two factions can't agree on an interior decorator, but that might just be an amusing myth). I really think that only adds to its aura. I said before that it feels like some recently excavated church, and I like it that way. It's dark and dank in places, smells of old wax and old stone, and sometimes the sound of friars doing the chanting liturgy thing they do echoes around the halls. Every time you turn a corner there's some new altar to commemorate a Station of the Cross or a mosaic or painting on the wall or a small cave leading somewhere, and hundreds of oil lamps hang down from the huge vaulted cielings. It's awesome.
Some of my pictures are weirdly blurry, but I think it makes them look artistic. :) The only real story I have is when Anna and I were sitting on a bench on the raised platform where the altar over the cricifixion site is located. We were waiting for a big group of tourists to leave, and some priest (I don't know which faction he was with) was yelling at a guy who was on a cell phone, and rushing him out. On the way, he kind of tapped both Anna's and my knees really hard, and we uncrossed our legs, not knowing what he wanted but kind of reacting on reflex to having our knees whacked. He moved on, and I was bewildered, but Anna remembered you're not supposed to cross your legs at the Church of the Nativity either. Apparently it's a sign of an "outgoing woman" or something. She didn't know for sure. I thought it was funny, even though it kind of hurt. :)
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