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On the Seam – a unique boutique museum

On the Seam is a unique boutique museum which exhibits the finest art from Israel and abroad by leading contemporary artists, and discusses social, gender-oriented, ethnic and geographical issues, while emphasizing what connects us rather than what keeps us apart.

Past exhibitions at the Museum, which was described by the National Geographic as “a fascinating and unique museum”, have dealt with themes of human rights, animal rights, ecology and sustainability, and the place of the individual, among others, in modern world.

The Museum, which was selected by the CNN as “one of Israel’s 10 best museums”, is located in a beautiful neo-classical building, built in 1932. During the years Jerusalem was divided (1948-1967), the house was turned into an Israeli military outpost situated on the border between Israel and Jordan, and was the only passage between the two parts of the divided city. During the battles of the 1967 war, the house suffered hits from shells and bullets that are apparent to this day.

Address: Kheil ha-Handasa St 4, Jerusalem,

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Jerusalem's History

Jerusalem's history stretches back about 5,000 years. About 2500 BC, the Canaanites inhabited the city. Later, Jerusalem became a Jebusite citadel. When DAVID captured the city (c.1000 BC), the Jebusites were absorbed into the Jewish people. David made Jerusalem the capital of his kingdom, and SOLOMON built the first Temple to house the Ark of the Covenant. In 586 BC, the Babylonian NEBUCHADNEZZAR II destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and exiled the Jews to Babylonia. Fifty years later (537 BC), CYRUS THE GREAT of Persia conquered Babylonia and permitted the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. Persia held the city until 333 BC, when ALEXANDER THE GREAT added Palestine to his empire. In 323 BC, PTOLEMY I of Egypt took Palestine into his kingdom. About 198 BC, the Seleucid king ANTIOCHUS III conquered Judaea (of which Jerusalem was a part), making it tributary to Syria. The Jews later revolted under the leadership of Maccabees and defeated the Syrians. The Temple was reconsecrated in 165 BC, and the Maccabean, or Hasmonean, dynasty ruled until Rome took the city in 63 BC. The Romans set up a local dynasty, the house of Herod, to rule most of Palestine; Herod the Great (r. 40-4 BC) rebuilt much of Jerusalem, including the Temple. Roman governors, however, retained ultimate control; one of them, Pontius Pilate, authorized the execution of Jesus Christ. While suppressing a major Jewish revolt, the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in AD 70. In 135, after the failure of the BAR KOCHBA revolt, Jews were banished from Jerusalem. From the early 4th century, when Christianity became legal in the Roman Empire, Jerusalem developed as a center of Christian pilgrimage. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher and many other Christian shrines were erected. Except for a brief period of Persian rule (614-28) the city remained under Roman (later, Byzantine) control until 638, when the Muslim Arabs took Jerusalem. The Arabs built (688-91) the Dome of the Rock mosque on the site of the Temple. In the 11th century, Muslim toleration of both Jews and Christians gave way to persecution under the FATIMID caliph al-Hakim (r. 996-1021) and under the SELJUKS, who seized Jerusalem in 1071. European Christendom responded by launching the CRUSADES. The Crusaders conquered Jerusalem in 1099 and established a Crusader state. SALADIN recaptured the city for the Muslims in 1187, and the Ayyubid and Mameluke dynasties ruled until 1517, when the Ottoman Empire took control. In 1917 the British occupied Jerusalem, and it became the capital of mandated PALESTINE from 1923 until 1948. During this period the city saw Arab rioting against the Jews. The 1948 United Nations partition plan for Palestine called for internationalization of the city. The Arabs rejected this resolution, and, from 1949, Jerusalem was divided into an Israeli and a Jordanian sector. The city remained divided until 1967, when Israel took the entire city following the Six Day War. The city is reunited today under Israeli government, which guarantees religious freedom and protection of all holy places.

Mahane Yehuda Market - A Day at "The Shuk"

One of the most colorful spots in Jerusalem and a must visit for any tourist to the city, is the vibrant Mahane Yehuda Market, or "The Shuk" as they say in Hebrew. Whether you decide to visit it on Friday, its busiest day in the week, or on any other weekday, there are quite a few milestone's in the market which are a delight for the eye and of course the palate. Located between Jaffa and Agripas St. "The Shuk" can be easily reached by walking from the bus station or by almost any bus route in Jerusalem. Inside, it is divided by streets named after fruits and has both an open aired area and a covered one. With over 250 vendors in the market, selling mostly foods from a large variety of Jewish communities from all over the world, even if one plans on simply absorbing the market through his senses, it's always a good idea to have a list with the market's finest restaurants and vendors, to make the best out of your day in the market. Here is a Virtual tour of the Mahane Yehuda Market >> Marzipan, 44 Agripas St. Start off just before entering the market at the famous Marzipan bakery. Besides having a name after a delicious almond treat, Marzipan is famous for its sweet pastries dispersing its fragrances from outside the market. If you're a chocolate lover (and who isn't?), don't miss out on their famous chocolate rogalach, yummy. Uzi-Eli, 10 Ha'egoz St. Take a right from Agripas St. into the first entrance of the covered market on Ha'egoz St. (Nut St. in Hebrew) and walk until you reach a picturesque juice stand on your right called Uzi-Eli. Uziel the owner, is a cute looking 68 year old man originally from Yemen who's referred to as "The Dr." Besides his juices which are said to have unique healing qualities from helping headaches to improving your stamina, the doctor offers creams and sprays as well for the skin and will happily give you your own personal diagnosis. The Halva Kingdom, 75 Etz Ha'haim St. Once you get to Hashaked St. (Almond), turn right and then left on Etz Ha'haim St. (Tree of Life) and walk until you see a large halva stand to the left, known as The Halva Kingdom. There you'll find every kind of sweet tahini and honey mixture you could ever dream of, plus a few baklavas if you have an endless sweet tooth. Make sure to try the excellent King's Halva and maybe even take a few packs with you back home – where the sweet delight will be even more appreciated. Ha'agas Ehad, 1 Banay St. Located in the heart of the market on the old Pear St. (Ha'agas) is Ha'agas Ehad. Although today the street is named Banay St., after Eliyahu Yaakov Banay, one of the four fathers of the famous Banay family in Israel, we can still find on the same spot, the well known fresh vegan cuisine restaurant, Ha'agas Ehad. If at this point of the day your only craving is for a salad, no doubt this place would be your best choice. Mizrahi, 12 Hashazif St. Another famous establishment of the market, on Hashazif St. (Plum) parallel to Banay St. is the Mizrahi restaurant. Once a home to a spice stand, today, the daughter of the spice stand owner, runs a family based restaurant called Mizrahi, serving deliciously authentic cuisine on Kerosene stoves. Mazetim, 11 Hashazif St. Just across the restaurant, if you're thinking of eating in, is a great cheese shop called Mazetim, where you can get the best cheeses from all over the country and abroad. Just be careful while walking around the shop, near almost every cheese you can find a few cut squares from it for you to try, not the best for someone on a diet. Mousseline, 17 Ha'egoz St. Another thing that's best to stay away from if on a diet is Mousseline ice-cream shop. Fairly new to the market, back on Ha'egoz St, Mousseline has already managed to get quite a fan base for itself, with hard ice-cream addicts going crazy for their odd but tasty basil grapefruit flavor. The Iraqi Shuk After so much eating it might be a good idea to relax a bit and watch others relax as well. The Iraqi part of the market, set in its back is probably a good bet for that. Watch a large group of diverse grandfathers (not only Iraqi) play backgammon and cards, relaxing under the sun, either rain or shine. Try talking to them, if you look naïve enough, they might even let you play with them… Hachipuria, 6 Eshkol St. If you become hungry after your backgammon game, take a right when coming out of the Iraqi market just before going back into the shuk, to Eshkol St. There in a Georgian bakery, you can enjoy some yummy Georgian cuisine consisting mostly of cheese and dough. Hachipuria has a large variety of oily dough with cheese but if still on a diet, just take a sip of their local Georgian drink. Mahneyuda, 10 Beit Ya'akov St. Oddly enough, the one thing your day out to "The Shuk" won't be complete without is a visit to a new restaurant just outside the market named Mahneyuda. Run by three of the best chefs that Jerusalem has to offer, Mahneyuda prouds itself in having a different menu everyday, printed daily on recycled paper, that's decided on according to the catch of the day from the market. With small to main courses set by prices from low to high (only up to 130 NIS per course) on the menu and an open kitchen where you can actually see how the food is made, there's no wonder one needs to book at least two days in advance to get a table. The people, the smells, the flavors and the sounds of the bustling market will all boil down as night sets on Jerusalem. At that point you can find yourself going back to your hotel after a crazy but definitely filling day at "The Shuk".

Jerusalem in the time of the Second Temple

A Journey following Jerusalem in the time of the Second Temple The Second Temple period, between 538 BCE and 70 CE is considered to be a time of Jerusalem's glory. This is due to the magnificent castles and walls that were built in the city, especially towards the end of the 600 years, with the rise of King Herod. The temple, built in 516 BCE by the Jews returning to Zion after the Babylonian exile was the heart of the city till its destruction in 70 CE. Having said that, one must understand, that the political and social situation in those days was extremely complex, with so many different religious streams trying to get hold of the spiritual leadership in Jerusalem, it seems that the rip inside the Jews, was what inevitably brought to Jerusalem's destruction by the Romans. This suggested tour follows some of the archeological milestones of the time through the old city and its surroundings, which give light to the historical period and political background of the time as well. Probably the best way to start off the journey would be by visiting the Model of Jerusalem in the late second Temple Period, located at the Israel Museum. The model, which is the size of 2,000 square meters at a 1:50 ratio, displays the entire city at that time from a birds view, showing off the temple and the roads and buildings surrounding it. After having seen the model and understanding the destruction the city went through (by comparison to what's left today) it's time to go to the Old City. Entering through Jaffa gate, we will already be able to see parts of the Second temple's time architecture. Originally believed to have been built by King David, the Tower of David situated at the entrance to the old city, was actually built during the time of the second temple by the Hashmonaim, as noted by Josephus Flavius, a historian who lived in the time of the great revolt. Later on it received a face lift and two more towers around it, as part of Herod's plans of glorifying the city. After the destruction of the city once more, the ancient citadel continued to serve the Romans as barracks for their soldiers. Throughout the years, the tower had been destructed and reconstructed by many, yet still the lower layers of the tower and of the old wall, are genuine to the period. Passing the tower, we head to the Jewish Quarter to the Wahl Museum of Archeology, also known as the Herodian Suburb. The museum depicts life in the time of the second temple in Jerusalem. Original mosaics, stone tools and various objects of art portray the high quality of life experienced at the time in the city. In order to complete the picture it's recommended to continue to the excavated Burnt House, said to have been burned by the Romans, where you can watch a 12 minute audio–visual presentation about the political and social events which led to the house's burning. Ending the tour near the western wall, you can either choose to walk underground through the Western Wall Tunnels, where you can take a tour of the most ancient layers of the wall, or walk above ground in the area of The Archeological Garden of Jerusalem. There you can see the excavated Robinson's Arch which once stood at the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount as well as the old market street and the steps that used to lead to the temple up until 70 CE.

Jerusalem - one of a kind