pic israel tourism brochure
DESCRIPTION
PIC is focused at building relations and strengthening the tourism industry in Africa based upon the Israeli experience. PIC generates market knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism strategies and instruments, fosters tourism education and capacity building, and works towards make tourism an effective tool for development in Africa.TRANSCRIPT
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ISRAEL
So much more .....
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I ndex
Promoting International Collaboration ............................5 Tel Aviv ...................................................................................6 Jaffa ..........................................................................................8 Nazareth ................................................................................10 Caesarea ................................................................................12 Haifa ......................................................................................14 Sea of Galilee .......................................................................16 Dead Sea ...............................................................................18 Jerusalem ..............................................................................20 Suggested Itineraries ...................................................................27 Classic Israel ..................................................................................29 Catholic Pilgrimage .....................................................................30 Evangelical Pilgrimage ................................................................31 The Exodus ....................................................................................32 Umra Al-Aqsa ...............................................................................33 Communication ............................................................................34
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Over the decades, tourism has experienced continued growth and deepening diversification to become one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world. Modern tourism is closely linked to development and encompasses a growing number of new destination. These dynamics have turned tourism into a keydriverforsocio-economicprogress. Tourism has become one of the major players in international commerce, and represents at the same time one of the main income sources for many developing countries. This growth goes hand in hand with an increasingdiversificationandcompetitionamongdestinations. Promoting International Collaboration ( PIC ) is an international company offering consultancy and technical assistance, helping our partners to obtain a competitive edge in a global market. PIC promotes tourism; offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and business collaboration between partners. Our services include among others : Long or short-term advisory; filling the performance gap; consultancies; workshops and seminars; formal or informal training; on-the-job training; coaching and mentoring; including organisational development. PIC is focused at building relations and strengthening the tourism industry in Africa based upon the Israeli experience. PIC generates market knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism strategies and instruments, fosters tourism education and capacity building, and works towards make tourism an effective tool for development in Africa. We strive to enhance creativity and innovation, exchanging experiences and ideas in order to find new partners and strategies to raise tourism as one of the main drivers of economic and social ad-vancement on the continent. The main objectives of PIC in strengthening the Tourism Industry are to:
Promote Africa and Israel as an attractive travel destination Create a positive image of Israel and Africa Assist partners to exchange knowledge and work collaboratively Provide industry partners and other interested parties with access to opportunities
on inbound and outbound tourism Build up a stronger healthier and more efficient tourism industry Develop innovative management practices Foster public-private partnership To create a closer working relationship amongst stakeholders and travel industry
representatives To promote forums for the development, marketing and sales of tourism products To promote travel industry professionalism and skills through education and training To assist in the development and promotion of new products and services within Africa and
Israel
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T el A viv TelAviv,oftencalled‘thecitythatneverstops’,wasthefirstmodernJewishcitybuiltinIsrael,andisthecounty’seconomic and cultural centre. It is alive, active city, with entertainment, cultural and art festivals and rich night life. Situated on a 14-kilometer-long strip on the Mediterranean seacoast, Tel Aviv extends beyond the Yarkon River to the north and the Ayalon River to the east. Hundreds of thousands of workers, visitors, tourists, and partygoers moveaboutthecityeachdayuntiltheearlyhoursofthemorning,seekingoutthecity’snightclubs,restaurants,and centers of entertainment.
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Tel Aviv began its history in Jaffa (Yafo) - the ancient 3,000-year-old adjoining city that lies to its southwest. The current Old City of Jaffa was built during the Ottoman Empire and its stone houses and narrow alleyways now house the picturesque artists’ quarter andtourist center. Among the main attractions of Old Jaffa are Gan HaPisga - the Summit Garden with its restaurants, galleries, shops with Judaica, and unique atmosphere, the seaside promenade and walls of the old city, the visitors’ center in the oldcourtyard, and the fishing port. There are also several important Christian sites in Old Jaffa such as the Church of Saint Peter, which dates back to the 17th century, the house of Simon the Tanner where Peter had his vision of the non-kosher animals, and the tomb of Tabitha, whose righteous deeds enabled Peter to raise her from the dead. Around Jaffa there is the Ot-toman clock tower, a vibrant flea market that is always worth visit-ing, and the Ajami neighborhood.
TelAvivisIsrael’scenterforcultureand entertainment. The city has more than 20 museums, the most important of which are the Land of Israel (HaAretz) Museum and the Tel Aviv Art Museum. Other Tel Aviv museums include the Museum of the Diaspora, the Israel Defense Forces History Museum, the Etzel Museum, the Haganah Museum, the Palmach Museum, The Lekhi Museum, and the Nachum Gutt-man Museum. The city hosts the Israel Philhar-monic Orchestra and the Israeli Opera Company, as well as most of the national dance and theater companies. Tel Aviv is also the national center for night life and entertainment and is filled with night clubs featur-ing music of all types, dancing, res-taurants, pubs, coffee houses, dis-cotheques, movie theaters, audito-riums, and concert halls. The beachfront of Tel Aviv has bathing beaches and a romantic waterfront promenade.
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J affa
If you are planning a visit to Israel, you don’twant tomiss this amazing city. You’ll enjoy taking aguided tourthrough stone-paved alleyways of ancient Jaffa (biblical Joppa), a port city that has been inhabited since about 7,500 BC. In fact, it is the oldest port to have been continuously inhabited in the world! It is believed Jaffa was “born” right after the Noadic flood. Noah’s son, Japheth, built a settlement here andnamed it - “From these (the descendants of Japheth) the coastlands of the nationswere separated into theirlands…”(Gen.10:5)
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An Egyptian letter from 1440 BC talks about Jaffa’s conquest byPharaoh Thutmose II, whose general hid his soldiers in gift baskets for the governor of the then Canaanite city. It remained under Egyptian rule until approxi-mately 800 BC. The Canaanite and Philistines each had a turn at trying to hold on to this vital port and entry to Jerusalem until King David reclaimed it. It was through this port that he and his son, King Solomon, floated in the cedars of Lebanon for the Temple. In 701 BC, Assyrian King Sennacherib invaded and took possession of the port (and all of Judah) from King Hezekiah. After a time of Babylonian occupation, Jaffa was governed by the Phoenicians. Alexander the Great then conquered it in the late fourth century BC. The city changed hands frequently
between the Maccabees and the Syrians until the Temple was reclaimed in the Maccabean Revolt in 165 BC. As the power of the Roman Empire grew, it began moving eastward consuming every nation in its way. In 68 AD, Vespasian razed the city to the ground and erected a citadel in its place, installing a Roman garrison. Visitors to this historically-rich city will have the thrill of seeing pieces of the many cultures that have resided here over the millennia! However, for Christians, Jaffa (biblical Joppa) holds extra significance. The prophet Jonah set sail for Tarshish from the port of Jaffa when he tried to run away from God. Simon Peter healed Tabitha the seamstress when in Jaffa. Simon Peter had a vision on the roof of Simon the Tanner’shouse where God commanded him toeatfoodsthatwere“unclean”.
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N azareth Nazareth, or Natsrat as its name is pronounced in Hebrew, is the cradle of Christianity, the city where, according to tradition, the angel Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the place where Jesus spent his childhood and youth. Nazareth, in the lower Galilee, is located in the heart of a valley surrounded by mountains that embrace several of the most important Christian sites in the world. This is a city of religion and faith, of spirituality and holiness, but also a city with a rich history, fascinating archeology, modern culture and Mid-dle Eastern charm.
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Nazareth, which began as a small Jewish village about 2,000 years ago, became a stronghold of Christianity in the Byzantine period, just a few hundred years later. During that period the name of Nazareth spread far and wide, and the yearnings to see the place where the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ had lived turned the city into a popular pilgrimage site. These visits led tothebuildingofthecity’sfirstchurch - the Church of the An-nunciation at the traditional site of Joseph and Mary’s home.Many more churches have been built throughout the city, and were destroyed and rebuilt with the changes in Muslim and Christian rule over the centu-ries. In the 19th century Naz-areth attracted renewed inter-est and Christians returned to live in this city and rebuilt churches and monasteries. To-day Nazareth is the largest Arab city in Israel and has about 30
churches and monasteries, as well as mosques and ancient synagogues. A tour of Nazareth is like reliving its various periods. Every era left behind it a powerful symbol that became a delightful and popular tourism site in the modern era. Most of the sites are concen-trated in the Old City, built in the mid-19th century in a charming Middle Eastern architectural style. A walk through the nar-row streets, between the pictur-esque houses, is an amazing ex-perience and it is worth walking slowly to enjoy their beauty. There are many ancient churches in the Old City, with the Church of the Annunciation heading the list. The rebuilt church retained parts of the pre-vious churches, from the Cru-sader and Byzantine periods. The church also houses an impressive collection of paint-ings.
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C aesarea
Caesarea is a city of the past and the future, the new opposite the ancient. While new Caesarea is graced with mag-nificent modern homes, ancient Caesarea offers tourists the ruins of unique, impressive buildings. While golfers enjoy lush fairways, horse races are reenacted in the huge hippodrome in the national park. While modern Caesarea’sneighborhoodsarequietandsereneinthegloryofcontemporaryarchitecture,ancientCaesareaisbus-tling with tourists who come to see the wonders of the past that were built by one of the greatest builders of the ancient world - King Herod. Caesarea’santiquitiesparkisoneofIsrael’smostimpressiveparks,housinguniquebuildingsfromvariousperiods,bearing silent witness to the upheavals that have visited Caesarea over the past 2,300 years. Standing side by side
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over an area of 500 dunams (125 acres), there are architectural remains from the Hellenistic period (the 3rd century BCE) to the Crusader period (the 12th century), when Caesarea was a port city and spentmanyyearsasIsrael’s capital. Caesarea was given to King Herod as a present by Augustus Caesar and is named after him. Herod built a massive port there alongside entertainment facilities, bathhouses and temples. In the Byzantine period, Caesarea was an important Christian center. The early fathers of Christianity (Origen and Eusebius) lived there and according to Christian tradition it was here that the first idol worshiper was converted - the Roman centurion Cornelius. In the Crusader period the city was fortified with walls and gates, which were eventually destroyed by the Mamluk Conquest in the 13th century. A tour of the national park is like walking through a story, and
wandering between the ancient buildings one can both sense how people lived here thousands of years ago and enjoy modern, contemporary experiences, such as the enthralling musical performances held in the beautiful Roman Theater. One can walk along the city walls and around the towers, wander through the ruins of the castle and the various temples, watch the horse races in the hippodrome, visit the ancient port and the tiny artists’ squareand view the interactive 3-dimensional computer simulations of the city’s past. The port hostscultural festivals year round and offers a wide range of activities: historic riddles, jeep tours, target practice with a variety of weapons, paintball, Tai Chi on the beach, toga workshops and treasure hunts.Caesarea’sbeachoffers thebeauty of nature and diving enthusiast can explore the underwater ruins in the archeological park beside the port.
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H aifa Israel’sthirdlargestcityandoneofitsprettiest,Haifahasalottooffervisitors.Ithasthecountry’slargestport,a particularly active beach and is the home of the World Center of the Bahai Faith. Surrounded by abundant nature sites, the city contains an interesting mix of modern neighborhoods and older districts; churches and mosques; mountain and sea. With residents from the three largest religions as well as from various minority faiths, Haifa is also a symbol of out-standing co-existence and tolerance. Nine percent of the population consists of Arabs (Moslems and Christians) who reside mostly in three neighborhoods: Khalisa, Abas and the famous Wadi Nisnas whose charming alleyways have turned it into a tourist spot.
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The annual Holiday of Holidays marking the city’s special lifestyle is
held there.
The Christian presence in Haifa, with its many churches, also contributes to the city’s image. AMaronite church is located next to Kikar Paris (Paris Square); adjacent to that is the Carmelite church dedicated to the Prophet Elijah; and not far from there is Saint Mary’s Greek Orthodox ParishChurch. The Sacre Coeur Catholic School on Allenby Street has a well-tended garden and building, in front of which are impressive statues of Saint Mary. Atop the Carmel, holy to Christians, is the Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery. In the monastery’s Baroque-style church is a cave considered by Christian tradition to be the grave of the Prophet Elijah, and in the monastery is a small museum dedicated to his life. On site is also a hostel which serves the many pilgrims who visit the city.
This does not complete the city’sreligious mosaic. Israel’s onlyAhmadi Muslim community is basedinHaifa’sKababir neighborhood. The Ahmadiyya is an Indian sect of Islam, founded in the late nineteenth century, which promotes peace among nations and opposes religious coercion. Their large mosque houses a prayer hall and a first-floor exhibit of their history and significant contributions. Haifa’s reputation for toleranceextends to the Bahai Faith whose World Center is located in the city. The Bahais originated in the Bab sect which separated from Iran’sShi’ite Islam in 1844. The BahaiWorld Center, an expansive and well-designed complex on the slope of the Carmel, is famous for its magnificent gardens. It includes the exquisitely landscaped “Hanging Gardens” which runabout a kilometer along the Louis Promenade until Ha-Gefen Street.
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S ea of
All winter long, the most important part of the news report for Israelis is not the dollar-shekel exchange rate or the level of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange index, but rather the water level in Lake Kineret, which often reflects the na-tionalspirit.TheKineret,orSeaofGalilee,isIsrael’slargestfreshwaterreservoir,andisalsothecountry’slargestand most important source and reservoir of drinking water. For this and other reasons, the Kineret has become an important national symbol and is also a first class tourism center. The beaches that surround the entire lake are similar but different. The width of the beaches varies in keeping with the local geography, creating different landscapes in every location. Above the eastern and western shores, for
G alilee
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example, rise the Galilee moun-tains and the foothills of the Golan, while to the north there is the Beit Tsida valley, a wide area with plen-tiful water that drains from the Jor-dan River and the Golan streams, and to the south is the Jordan estu-ary, which flows south toward the desert regions. For this reason, some of the Kineret’s beaches have soft sand,while others are rocky; some beaches are narrow while others are very wide. Either way, the beaches are fun and offer many tourist attractions for every age group. Most of the beaches allow nature-loving visitors to sleep in camping areas on the sand, and there are also hostels, guest houses and beachfront hotels. Most of the beaches also offer various types of water sports and water activities, such as boating in inflatable rubber dinghies, canoes, etc.; children can enjoy the giant slides at the water parks (Luna Gal, Tsemakh or Gai Beach). There are
plenty of restaurants and grocery stores along the way, and most of all one can enjoy the calm and tranquility. The beaches surrounding the Ki-neret are also a perfect starting point for wonderful nature tours of the area. Some of the most popu-lar and beautiful nature sites are the Jordan Park, the Beit Tsida Na-ture Reserve, Khamat Gader, Na-harayim. There is also the lower Golan Heights region, which bor-ders on the Kineret and is full of swift flowing streams, historic sites and nature reserves. The Kineret played an important role in the early years of Christian-ity and has now become a pilgrim-age site for many Christians. Ac-cording to Christian tradition, Jesus lived, preached and performed miracles in the Kineret and the sur-rounding region. It was here that he walked on the water and the miracle of the loaves and the fishes happened in nearby Kfar Nakhum (Capernaum).
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D S ead
How far does one have to descend to reach the Dead Sea? About 400 meters below sea level. How deep is this salty lake? Almost the same (in the northern section). Fascinating? Absolutely! Every detail about the Dead Sea is fascinating. Here are a few more facts: The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth in any land mass (417 meters below sea level, to be exact). The quantity of water that evaporates from it is greater than that which flows into it, such that this body of water has the highest concentration of salt in the world (340 grams per liter of water).
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It is called the Dead Sea because its salinity prevents the existence of any life forms in the lake. That same salt, on the other hand, provides tremendous relief to the many ailing visitors who come here on a regular basis to benefit from its healing properties. All these and more make the Dead Sea so fascinating, so different and so Interesting. It is a truly priceless national treasure. The western shore (inside Israel’sborders)isdottedwith organized beaches and bathing areas that provide convenient access to the water. Beside two of the therapeutic beaches (Neve Zohar and Ein Bokek) large tourism centers have been established, providing the most pampering tourism services. You will find dozens of hotels, hostels and guest houses, restaurants and shopping centers, as well as surprising tourism
enterprises that offer a wide range of challenging activities (jeep and bicycle tours, camel tours and Bedouin hospitality, rappelling and more), alongside art and cultural activities (galleriesandartists’ stu-dios), and of course the unique ag-riculture, adapted to the local cli-mate. The Dead Sea is on the edge of the Judean Desert, a hot, barren region at the foot of Ha-He’etekim cliff,which has also become an important center of desert tourism. The coastline is dotted with many springs, surrounded by wild plant life. The special combination that has formed in this place, between desert landscapes and oasies with plentiful water, plants and animals, attracts both the eye and the heart and draws many tourists to sites such as Mt. Sdom, Nakhal Darga, the Ein Gedi nature reserve and the Einot Tsukim (Ein Fashkha) reserve.
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J erusalem
What has not already been said about the holiest city in the world, the city that has been united, the eternal city first built thousands of years ago, whose history can be heard in the whispering of the wind along the walls, where every stone tells a wondrous story of a city that has drawn millions of faithful pilgrims for thousands of years. Such is Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, the only city in the world that has 70 names of love and yearning, the city that in old maps appears at the center of the world and is still adored like a young bride. Jerusalem is a city of overwhelming emotions, a city that promises a religious and spiritual experience, excitement andpleasure, interestingtoursandentertainingadventures.Here,alongsideJerusalem’s fascinatinghistoricandarcheological sites, there are amazingly modern tourist attractions for all lovers of culture, the arts, theater and music, architecture and gastronomic delights.
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The Old City AtJerusalem’sheartistheOldCity,which is surrounded by a wall and divided into four quarters - Jewish, Armenian, Christian, and Muslim. Inside the walls are the important holy sites of the three major relig-ions: the Western Wall, which is holy to the Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. The Western Wall plaza is visited by millions of worshipers. Here, at the base of the massive wall that is a remnant of the Holy Temple, prayers are offered and notes con-taining heartfelt wishes are wedged between the crevices. Surrounding the Western Wall are other important Jewish sites - the Western Wall Tunnels, the unique Davidson Center, the Jewish quar-ter with its magnificent Cardo and David’s Citadel, towering proudlyin its beauty. South of the Old City is the City of David, from which the ancient Can’anite and Israelite Je-rusalem grew. This is a fascinating site with amazing findings that pro-vide an unforgettable experience. Jerusalem is also very important to
Christianity, as Jesus Christ lived and died here. The Christian quar-ter alone houses some 40 religious buildings (churches, monasteries and pilgrims’ hostels). One of themost prominent and important sites in the Christian quarter is the Via Dolorosa, the “Way of Sor-rows,” Jesus’ final path,which ac-cording to Christian tradition led from the courthouse to Golgotha Hill, where he was crucified and buried. Many pilgrims come to Je-rusalem to followJesus’ footstepsalong a route that starts in the MuslimQuarter,atLions’Gate,andpasses the 14 stations of the cross, ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Several of the most im-portant Christian relics are housed in this church, including the anoint-ing stone (on which Jesus’ bodywas laid before his burial) and Je-sus’grave.TheChurchof theHolySepulcher is a pilgrimage site for millions of Christians from all over the world. Southwest of the Old City is Mt. Zion, where the Dormition Abbey was built on the site Christian tra-diion believes Mary spent her last
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night. The abbey was built about 100 years ago and in the basement there is a statue of the sleeping Mary. Beside the abbey is the Room of the Last Supper, where Jesus ate his last meal. East of the Old City is the Mount of Olives, where there are other im-portant Christian sites, and several churches: The Ascension, Pater Noster, Dominus Flevit, Mary Mag-dalene, Gethsemane, Lazarus and Abraham’s Monastery. AccordingtoChristian tradition,Mary’s tombis in the Kidron Valley, below the Mt. of Olives. Apart from the holy places throughout the Old City, there are several charming sites that are well worth visiting. There is the wonder-ful market, which is one big sensual celebration. Here you can buy Ar-menian-style decorated ceramics, beautiful strings of beads, authen-tic clothing, embroidered cushions, colorful wool carpets, candles and amazing glassware, and countless different souvenirs. From the promenade along the tops of the Old City walls you can look out
over the Old City and the New City. Tours along the walls are a won-derful night-time activity, too, whenthecity’s lightssparklemak-ing the sights even more unforget-table. The Armenian Quarter has its own unique charm and is well worth visiting. The New City The constructionof thenewcity’sJewish neighborhoods began in the late 19th century. Some of the neighborhoods have retained their original picturesque charm, and wandering among the houses is a real pleasure. Some of these neighborhoods are Even Yisrael, the German Colony, Yemin Moshe, Me’a She’arim, Makhane Yisra’el,Nakhla’ot, Nakhalat Shiv’a, Ein Ka-rem, Komemi’ut, Rekhavia, theBukharian Quarter and the Ethio-pian Quarter. There are many other interesting and unique sites from different periods throughout the city, such as Armon HaNatsiv and the Promenade, Ammunition Hill, Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum, Mishkenot Sha’ananim,
the Monastery of the Cross, Elias Monastery and the YMCA building.
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Among the more modern sites are the Supreme Court, the Israel Mu-seum, the Biblical Zoo, the Knesset, Mt. Herzl, Makhane Yehuda mar-ket, with its unparalleled variety of exciting sounds, colors, flavors and aromas. Young people who like to go out in the evenings will love Jerusalem’smain night life regions: the German Colony, the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall, Nakhalat Shiv’a, ShlomtsiyonHaMalka Street, and the Russian Compound. Museum lovers will be delighted to discover that Jerusalem is dotted with dozens of museums full of rich exhibits, such as the Israel Mu-seum, the Natural History Museum, the Bloomfield Science Museum, Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Rockefeller Museum, the Bible Lands Museum, the Is-lamic Art Museum, the Old Yishuv Court Museum, the Armenian Museum and the Museum of Italian Jewish Art.
Children will enjoy the Time Elevator (an interactive, three-dimensional presentation on the history of Jerusalem), the spacious BiblicalZoo,EinYa’el- which offers workshops in Biblical arts and crafts, the Armon HaNatsiv tun-nels, the beautiful botanical gar-dens and the hands-on interactive exhibits at the Bloomfield Science Museum. Since Jerusalem is a city that has become home to people from many different faiths, traditions and ethnic groups, the city’s culi-nary culture offers something for everyone. Alongside Bohemian gourmet restaurants you will find eateries where the food is cooked slowly over ancient stoves, coffee shops with style, ethnic restau-rants, fast food stands and bars that come to life in the evening hours. In addition to an abundant variety of dining opportunities, Je-rusalem also has many different types of tourist accommodations, from luxury hotels to inexpensive youth hostels.
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Jerusalem is like no other city, peo-ple often say. But what makes it so? Could it be your feeling, as you walk these ancient streets, that you are walking a tightrope be-tween heaven and earth? Jerusalem had two natures, it has longbeensaid:the“heavenly”andthe “earthly.” Sometimes it mayseem to visitors that its “earthly”elements are just like those of any other city – perhaps even more so; as you navigate the Old City streets, and even at its holy places, seeking the spiritual moments you imagined you’d always have, youmight occasionally find yourself jostled by the crowds, who seem to have not the slightest bit of re-spect for your space! Yet Jerusalem may be where “respect for space”was invented.Afterall,Godsaidof it:“MyNameshall be there” (I Kings8:29).Andyou want to come here because you want be on that spot – where tradition says Abraham stood a moment before the angel stopped him from sacrificing his son Isaac. You want to come to Jerusalem because at the Mount of Olives you can behold the city spread out be-fore you, floating like a vision of all
time. You want to be here to walk down the Mount of Olives and hear the echoes of crowds shouting “Hosannah!” Youwant to be ableto sense the strengthening of your faith as you pray under the ancient olive trees at the Garden of Geth-semane. You want to stand at Gol-gotha, and behold an empty tomb. You want to walk up the steps leading to the Temple that Jesus also must have climbed, and where Peter healed a beggar. You want to restore your vision, like the beggar of old at the Pool of Siloam, where every day, under the skilled hands of the archaeologists, the earth yields up the stones that Jesus knew. You want to celebrate here with the Jewish people on the bib-lical holidays of ascent to the Holy City – Tabernacles, Passover and Pentecost.
You will come because you want to learnwhat true “sacred space” is.It is here that you can relive like nowhere else the moments when Jesus walked through streets like these, carrying the cross. It dawns on you here how 2,000 years later the crowds still jostle for space, still ignore the needs of others – or offer to help out a stranger with overflowing compassion; the ven-
dors still vie for your attention, and the air is filled with the aromas of cinnamon and myrrh, coriander, cumin and sage. And that is when yourealizewhat“sacredspace” isall about. Because this is what you seek, this is what leads you to Jerusalem, you’ll findwhenyou arehere thatyou can move easily between the realms of the earthly and the heav-enly, and make the Holy City your own.
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S uggested I tineraries
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C lassic I srael Day 1. Arrival at BenGurion’s In-ternational Airport. Reception and assistance. A panoramic city tour of Tel Aviv towards Jaffa, an an-cient port, now a renowned Artists Quarter. Arrival to hotel in Tiberias, overnight. Day 2. In the morning along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The tour starts at Capernaum, visiting the remnants of the old Synagogue where Jesus preached and taught. On to the Mount of Beatitudes, the place of the Sermon of the Mount. Drive on to Tabgha, where the miracle of the Multiplication of the Fish and Bread took place, close to the church of Peter’s Primacy andthe Miraculous Fishing. Boat trip on the waters of the Sea, as done in the times of Jesus. After lunch Jordan River and Baptismal site. Back to the hotel in Tiberias. Day 3. After breakfast driving by the Galilee hills toward Cana of the Galilee, site of the first miracle of Jesus. Nazareth, where Jesus passed most of his childhood and adolescence. Visit to the Basilica of
the Annunciation and the near by St.Joseph’scarpentry.VisitMountTabor, site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Back to Tiberias, over-night. Day 4. Depart from Tiberias. Through the Jordan Valley to Jeri-cho the world’s oldest city, andQumran. Then the Dead Sea, with a possibility of a dip in its salty wa-ters. Ascend to JERUSALEM through the Judean desert, via the Good Samaritan Inn. Triumphal en-trance to Jerusalem facing the an-cient walls of the Old City. Over-night Jerusalem. Day 5. The visit of Jerusalem starts with a drive, via Mount Sco-pus, towards Mount of Olives to the place of the Ascension. The grotto of Pater Noster and the most beautiful panoramic view of the city. Descent by foot all the way down reaching the garden of Gethsemane, the Basilica of the Agony, the Betrayal Grotto and Mary’s tomb. Depart to Bethle-hem, Jesus birthplace. Visit to the Basilica with the cave of the
Nativity, St. Jerome’s grotto andSt. Catherine chapel. Day 6. In the morning visit Mount Zion. Cenaculum, site of the Last SupperofJesus,KingDavid’stomb and the Dormition Abbey. Continue to the Western Wall and up to the Temple Mount tour of the Western and new section of the city. Visit the Holocaust Memorial. Continue to the Knesset (the Israel Parlia-ment) to visit the Menorah Return to the hotel. Day 7. In the morning our tour in Jerusalem reaches its end entering through the Sheep Gate, to visit the pool of Bethesda, St. Anne’sChurch, the Chapel of the Flagella-tion and walk along the VIA DOLO-ROSA´s 14th Stations of the Cross up to the Golgotha Hill and the Ba-silica of the Holy Sepulcher. After-noon free. Return to the hotel. Day 8. Depart to Ben Gurion In-ternational Airport. Personal assis-tance in embarking formalities. End of our services. Shalom and see you again soon.
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C atholic P ilgrimage
Day 1 - ArrivalatBenGurion’s International Airport. Reception and assistance. A panoramic city tour of Tel Aviv towards Jaffa, an ancient port, now a renowned Artists Quarter. Arrival to hotel in Tiberias, overnight. Day 2 - In the morning along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The tour starts at Capernaum, visiting the remnants of the old Synagogue where Jesus preached and taught. On to the Mount of Beatitudes, the place of the Sermon of the Mount. Drive on to Tabgha, where the miracle of the Multiplication of the Fish and Bread took place, close to the church of Peter’s Primacy andthe Miraculous Fishing. Boat trip on the waters of the Sea, as done in the times of Jesus. After lunch Jordan River and Baptismal site. Back to the hotel in Tiberias. Day 3 - After breakfast driving by the Galilee hills toward Cana of the Galilee, site of the first miracle of Jesus. Nazareth, where Jesus passed most of his childhood and adolescence. Visit to the Basilica of the Annunciation and the near by
St.Joseph’scarpentry.VisitMountTabor, site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Back to Tiberias, overnight. Day 4 - Depart from Tiberias. Through the Jordan Valley to Jerichotheworld’soldestcity,andQumran. Then the Dead Sea, with a possibility of a dip in its salty waters. Ascend to JERUSALEM through the Judean desert, via the Good Samaritan Inn. Triumphal entrance to Jerusalem facing the ancient walls of the Old City. Overnight Jerusalem. Day 5 - The visit of Jerusalem starts with a drive, via Mount Scopus, towards Mount of Olives to the place of the Ascension. The grotto of Pater Noster and the most beautiful panoramic view of the city. Descent by foot all the way down reaching the garden of Gethsemane, the Basilica of the Agony, the Betrayal Grotto and Mary’stomb.Departto Bethlehem, Jesus birthplace. Visit to the Basilica with the cave of the Nativity, St. Jerome’s grotto andSt. Catherine chapel.
Day 6 - In the morning visit Mount Zion. Cenaculum, site of the Last SupperofJesus,KingDavid’stomband the Dormition Abbey. Continue to the Western Wall and up to the Temple Mount tour of the Western and new section of the city. Visit the Holocaust Memorial and the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Manuscripts are on exhibit. Continue to the Knesset (the Israel Parliament) to visit the Menorah Return to the hotel.
Day 7 - In the morning our tour in Jerusalem reaches its end entering throughtheLion’sGate,tovisitthepool of Bethesda, St. Anne’sChurch, the Chapel of the Flagellation and walk along the VIA DOLOROSA´s 14th Stations of the Cross up to the Golgotha Hill and the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher. Afternoon free. Return to the hotel. Day 8 - Depart to Ben Gurion International Airport. Personal assistance in embarking formalities. End of our services. Shalom and see you again soon.
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E vangelic P ilgrimage
Day 1 - Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport where you will receive assistance and reception. Welcome to the Land of the Bible. Accommodation and Orientation; dinner and overnight in Tiberias. Day 2 - Our pilgrimage starts at BANIAS (CAESARIA FILIPPOS), one of the main sources of the River Jordan in the Golan Heights, and will continue to the ruins of CAPERNAUM, where Peter's mother-in-law's house once stood and where Jesus stayed as a guest and worked many of his miracles. Continue to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the Bread and Fish, we will enjoy prayer together at the very site of the Sermon of the Mount. We will finish the day with a boat ride across the lake of Galilee then return to Tiberias for dinner and overnight rest. Day 3 - Morning g drive from Tiberias to the shores of the River Jordan for prayer and baptism. We will continue through River Jordan, passing by Mount Gilboa,where Kin Saul led a charge against the Philistines. We will arrive at The Harod Spring bubbles in a cave on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. The cave is called Gideon`s Cave, based on a story in Judges. Gideon tested his soldiers by asking them to drink the water from Harod Spring. Return for dinner and overnight in Tiberias.
Day 4 - Today, at last, we begin our journey to Jerusalem. Driving south along the Jordan Valley through the desert in Samaria and Judea, passing Jericho where we recall the conquest of the city by Joshua and where Jesus stayed on his way to Jerusalem. Starting our ascent to Jerusalem we will follow the rout of the triumphant entry into the City with a special prayer time. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces." Overnight rest in our Jerusalem hotel. Day 5 - We start with a visit to BETHLEHEM, south of Jerusalem and visit the Church of the Nativity, the traditional site where Jesus was born. Returning to Jerusalem and to the MOUNT OF OLIVES, we will recall the Ascension of Jesus and enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the city for which Jesus wept. Arrival at the Garden Of Gethsemane, where we will have time for prayer and worship among the ancient olive trees of Kidron valley. Continue on to MOUNT ZION we will explore the CENACLE, the site of the Last Supper of Jesus and King David's Tomb. To conclude this special day, we will visit the BIBLICAL GARDEN at the Evangelical Institute, and share a Paschal Supper together. Day 6 - Today we will enter, for the first time, within the walls of Old
Jerusalem through the Jewish Quarter and walk up to the Western Wall and Temple Mount, where the Moslem mosques stand today. This is MOUNT MORIAH of the Bible where Abraham offered up Isaac long ago. We continue by foot to the Pretorius site, where Pontius Pilate condemned Jesus to the cross, and from there along the Via Dolorosa in the footsteps of Jesus towards the garden of Golgotha, site of the Crucifixion and of the Empty tomb. Time for prayer and communion. In the afternoon, we continue on to explore the New Jerusalem with a visit to the scale model of the city, the Holocaust Memorial and the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Manuscripts are on exhibit. Day 7 - Driving south to the Dead Sea desert we will visit the site of Qumran where the ancient Essene community lived, which bequeathed to us in their parchments the oldest copies of Biblical texts. Free time to dip in the salty waters of the Dead Sea, and return to Jerusalem for a fare-well dinner. Day 8 - Free Morning for personal activities. Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport for departure. Personal assistance in embarking formalities to your International flight back home. Shalom and see you again soon.
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T he E xodus
Day 01 : - APTO / Cairo - Arrival at Cairo International Airport. Transfer to hotel. Dinner & overnight. Day 02: Cairo - Breakfast at the ho-tel. Full day visit to the City of Mem-phis. Then visit to three Pyramids of Giza, Cheops, Kephren and Myceri-nos, the Sphinx and the Valley tem-ple of Kephren. After that, we will visit a Perfume Factory. Lunch in local restaurant. Continue to the Egyptian Museum and Ben Ezra Synagogue. Back to hotel. Dinner & overnight. Day 03: - Cairo /St. Catherine - Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to St. Catherine. Transfer to hotel. Din-ner & overnight. Day 04: - St. Catherine / Taba - At dawn, ascent of Sinai Mountain and down. Return to hotel for break and breakfast. Transfer to cross Taba border. Following to the region of the Dead Sea. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Day 05: - Dead Sea / Jericho / Naz-areth - Breakfast. We will Star our trip through the roads of the de-sert, skirting the Red Sea and then the Dead Sea. Then we'll have time to bathe in extremely salty waters
of the Dead Sea We will travel to Qumeran, where they found the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. Continuing to Passing through Jericho, the old-est city in the World. Continued un-til we reached the capital of Galilee, Nazareth. Lodging and Dining. Day 06: - Nazareth / Galilee / Capernaum/ Yardenit- Breakfast. Departure for visit to Tabgha, where the miracle of the loaves and fishes, and the Mount of Beatitudes, where we will celebrate the Mass. Then we'll take a boat ride through the waters of the Sea of Galilee, visiting Capernaum, very significant place in the life of Jesus, after all there he performed several miracles and preaching. Renewal of baptism at the Jordan River. Lodging and Din-ing. Day 07: - Mt. Tabor / Haifa/ Caesarea / Tel Aviv / Jerusalem – Breakfast and ascent by taxi the Mount Tabor. Continue to Haifa for Mass at the Carmelite Monastery. Departure by road through the an-cient Via Maris to get to Caesarea Maritima. Visit the Roman Theatre and amphitheatre. Continue for a city tour of Tel Aviv towards Jaffa, the ancient port city that marks the presence of St. Peter and the
Prophet Jonah. Proceed to Jerusa-lem. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Day 08: - Jerusalem - Breakfast. We start our day doing the “via sacra”, ending at Calvary and the Holy Sep-ulchre. We also visit the Church of Santa Ana, the Chapel of the Flagel-lation and Pool Probatica. In the af-ternoon, we will climb the Mount of Olives, recalling the Ascension of Jesus and where we will have a beautiful view of Jerusalem. Visit to the Church of Our Father, the Gar-den of Gethsemane, Dominus Flevit and Tomb of the Virgin Mary. Lodg-ing and Dining. Day 09: - Jerusalem – Bethlehem / Jerusalem - Breakfast. Today we will visit Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity, the birthplace of Je-sus. Then visit the Shepherds' Field and the Milk Grotto. We will go back to Jerusalem to Visit the Upper Room where Jesus instituted the Eucharist, the Church of the Dor-mition of Mary and the Wailing Wall. Free time for shopping in the Arab market in the Old City. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. Day 10: - Breakfast and transfer to the international airport for depar-ture flight.
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U A A qsa mra l - Day 1: Welcome to Ben Gurion Airport or the Jordan River Bridge border crossing. Transfer to El-Quds for check-in. Dinner and over-night, not before driving around the Ancient Muslim Wall of El-Quds. Dinner and over night in Bethlehem. Day 2: Respecting the Holy Myraj of the Prophet Muhammad by visit-ing Masqed El Aqsa and Kubbat-Al-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock) on the hill of Haram-El-Sharyf for morning prayers. Then we proceed to Jabel Zeitun (Mount of Olives) for a panoramic view of the El-Quds – Jerusalem. On Mount Zion we visit the tomb of the Prophet Daoud and the room of the last supper of the Prophet Esa. Later we visit the Khan of Quds and the Tomb of the Prophet Esa (Church of the Holy Sepulchre) At the end of the day – Evening prays in the Masque Al-Aqsa Diner and over night in Beth-lehem. Day 3: Driving to the South to visit the Dead Sea – the lowest place on Earth – being able to float easily on its very salty waters. On the way, we have a visit to Zyara at the Prophet Musa Tomb. Then con-tinue to Arycha (Jericho) the oldest inhabited
city in the world where we can see impressive examples of early Is-lamic Art and Architecture well pre-served from the Umayyad period. WevisitHisham’sPalace- Khirbat al-Mafjar and the Spring of Ain-El-Sultan. Transfer to Tiberias for diner and over night Day 4: Travel to the North along the Mediterranean Ocean to the beautiful city of Akka (Acre) for prays at the Masque-Jazzar named after Achmed Pasha El-Jazzar that famous Muslim governor who for-tified Akka against Napoleon. In the old city we visit Han El Umdan, the Fisherman’s Port and the sitewhere the Mammel Uks defeated thelastCrusader’sarmyin1291andestablished the Muslim Kingdom Dar-es-Islam all over the country. A boat tour around the Akka Walls is optional (Not in the Winter). Then we proceed to Maque Umar Ibn El-Khalab in the Arabic town of Saknin including traditional hospi-tality (Diafa) – at the Arabic Mu-seum of Arab Culture. Diner and over night in Tiberias. Day 5: We visit Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee. From this area we can view the Izreel Valley in which the famous battle between the
Egyptian Army and the Mamme-lusks under Sultan Baibars took place (1280 A.C.) . We then proceed to the Lower Galilee to Nazareth the biggest Arabic city in the Israel. On the way to we pass by the Horns of Hitten, site of the famous battle where the Muslims under Salah-Eddyn defeated the Crusad-ers in 1187. We finish the day with a wonderful panoramic view of the city of Haifa, from Mount Carmel. Dinner and over night in Tel-Aviv Day 6: Visit to the Masque Hassan Bek in the Old City of Jaffa. Contin-ued to Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity. The Cave of the birth of Prophet Esa. Proceed-ing to Ziyara, at the Tomb of Mala-tune Raahil – beloved wife of the Prophet Yaacoub and Mother of Prophet Youssuf. Travel to El-Quds to visit the site of the Prophet Sam-uel. Later we have Ziyara of the Prophet Samuel inside the Al-Aqsa at the end of the day. Evening prays in Masque Al-Aqsa Dinner and over night in Bethlehem Day 7: Free day in El-Quds. Dinner and over night in Bethlehem Day 8: Transfer to Ben Gurion In-ternational Airport.
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All pictures and information in this brochure are curtsey of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism: www.goisrael.com
ISRAEL
Ms. Suzana Gassner Managing Director Promoting International Collaboration ISRAEL Tel: +972 4 6254287 direct Mobile: +972-522 415 030 Skype: suzana.gassner1 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.promoting-intl-collaboration.com
C ontacts
Mr. Mark Street Founder and Executive Secretary Promoting International Collaboration ISRAEL Tel: +972 4 9532497 direct Mobile: +972-528 711 613 Skype: mark.street.pic Email: [email protected] Web site: www.promoting-intl-collaboration.com