Israel and Palestine
by Troy Herrick
A clash of cultures greets any visitor to the Holy Land. Those who are intent on renewing their faith at the various Biblical sites will undoubtedly be influenced by the political tensions and religious fervor of both Israelis and Palestinians. Not all sites described in the Old and New Testaments are found in Israel. In fact some of the most historic locations are actually within the Palestinian Territory of the West Bank which also includes Jewish settlements. Bethlehem is likely the most frequently visited destination because of its association with Jesus. But there are many other sites of religious and archeological significance that should not be overlooked including Hebron and Jericho which are 30 km south and 24 km east of Jerusalem respectively.
Setting aside the friction between Israelis and Palestinians, you will find that both sides are friendly and welcoming as long as you do not say or do anything that is politically inflammatory or religiously provocative.
Hebron
Hebron is the final resting place of the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their respective wives Sarah, Rebekah and Leah. Abraham purchased the Cave of Machpelah for use as a family tomb from Ephron the Hittite for 400 silver Shekels (Genesis 23:17). This cave is the second holiest site in Judaism.
Abraham, the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5), is just as important to Islam as he is to Judaism. Muslims also revere his burial site and have placed the Mosque of Ibrahimi on top of the sacred cave. The clash of these two great religions has made Hebron one of the most volatile cities in the West Bank.
The weathered gray-white ashlar exterior of this holy building was strangely reminiscent of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. This is not surprising when you realize that both were constructed by Herod the Great over 2000 years ago. In 1188 CE Saladin added a minaret to each of the four corners of the structure but now only two remain.
The Tomb of the Patriarchs is the centre of ongoing conflict between Palestinians and Jews. The site is maintained under tight security and segregated into both a mosque and a synagogue.
Approaching the Mosque of Ibrahimi from the souk, we passed through a turn-style checkpoint and found ourselves in a plaza with Palestinians milling around as they waited to pass through a second security check on our left before entering the mosque. To our right at the far end of the plaza was a metal fence that we could easily move aside had we wished to do so. Israeli soldiers kept a close eye on us from a guard tower while a group of 6 or 8 United Nations Peace Keepers patrolled the street just beyond the metal fence for any sign of trouble.
With so much activity going on, what did we do? We followed our Palestinian guide, Ahmed, through the second checkpoint, up a long flight of stairs and through a door on the northwest side of the building into the mosque.
A short distance inside the door you find yourself looking through a light green latticed double door at the first of six cenotaphs in the building. This is Sarah’s cenotaph (Genesis 49:31) and it is shrouded in a light green embroidered cloth. The location of a cenotaph does not imply that an individual has been interred directly beneath it.
Turning to your left, which is due south, continue into the prayer hall. Inside you find two rectangular cenotaphs with gray and terracotta brown stripes and a dark gray peaked roof. The room is filled with prayer mats. The cenotaph nearest to you is that of Rebekah (Genesis 49:31) and the other is Isaac’s (Genesis 35:29). Continuing along the side wall to the corner of the room, you find an exposed stone with Greek writing on it. This stone is a subtle reminder that this building served as a Christian church from the 3rd to the 7th centuries CE.
Looking toward the opposite corner your eyes become fixed on the richly decorated walnut wood minbar. The minbar, a pulpit, is a high stand with stairs that the Imam ascends in order to address the people. Saladin had this minbar installed in 1191 CE and it is now one of the oldest in the Palestinian Territories and Israel.
Exiting the prayer hall, locate Abraham’s cenotaph (Genesis 23:1-20) on your right. This is the most elaborately decorated monument in the complex. The cloth covering the cenotaph is divided into hexagonal sections, each with a gold embroidered flower blossom at its centre. Abraham’s monument is set within an opening in the wall that separates the mosque from the synagogue next door so that both Muslims and Jews can view it and yet remain segregated from each other.
Your tour of the mosque ends here. Exit the building, return to the plaza outside and cross the metal barrier into the Jewish sector. Ahmed directed us to proceed to the Jewish side by ourselves as he would not be permitted to accompany us. Walk the length of the building and find the entrance to the synagogue at the north end. At the bottom of a flight of stairs we were greeted by two Jewish buskers playing hauntingly traditional Jewish music and a group of high school girls.
Climb the steps at the northwest corner of the enclosure and enter the synagogue. The synagogue consists of a number of small rooms presumably designed for both worship and educational purposes.
While touring the synagogue we were able to locate Jacob’s cenotaph (Genesis 50:13) but not Leah’s (Genesis 49:31). Jacob’s cenotaph is housed within its own room and is only visible through a brass-coloured metal door. This cenotaph is shrouded with a light green cloth but I could not get close enough to determine if there was any embroidery or not.
Visitors should note that Jacob had a second wife named Rachel. She was not entombed in the Cave of Machpelah but rather at a site just outside of Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19).
After exiting the synagogue, we enjoyed a delicious lunch with a Palestinian family. This family is one of the few that has managed to retain possession of their residence on the Jewish side of the barrier. The lunch was a feast of traditional roasted chicken and rice. After concluding our meal we left Hebron with a better understanding of the tension between the Palestinians and Israelis.
Jericho
Jericho, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world has both archeological and Biblical significance. Archeology and the Bible are intricately intertwined here and it is yours to unravel.
You might wonder what would have attracted people to settle in the arid Jordan Valley over the past ten millennia. The most likely reason is that the local spring was the most reliable water source in the area.
The prophet Elisha (2 King 2:21) purified this spring by throwing salt into it. Perhaps this purified water is one of the reasons why Jericho was designated as one of the residences for priests and Levites who were rostered to work in the Temple in Jerusalem.
You can travel to Jericho by taxi from the Palestinian town of Abu Dis just outside Jerusalem. Your journey takes you over the same road that provided the setting for Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), although the highway was not paved back then.
En route to Jericho, you pass by An Nabi Musa, a former caravanserai where Muslim travelers could rest for the night as they traveled to Mecca for the Hajj. The caravanserai houses a mosque dating to 1269 CE which was built by the Mamluk Sultan Baybers. Inside the mosque you find a second room containing a cenotaph covered in a silky green cloth embroidered with gold Arabic script. Muslims believe that this is the final resting place of Moses whose bones were removed from Mount Nebo in neighbouring Jordan by Saladin. Jews and Christians believe that Moses still rests on Mount Nebo to this day (Deuteronomy 34: 5-6).
Resuming your journey, your taxi must pass through a Palestinian checkpoint before entering Jericho, a city administered by the Palestinian National Authority. After Diane and I presented our passports we were permitted to travel without restriction.
Driving through the sedate town to the site of ancient Jericho, our driver, Mohammed, quickly stopped to point out the gnarled Zacchaeus Sycamore with an arched cave-like opening in its trunk. Tradition holds that a rich tax collector named Zacchaeus climbed this tree in order to see Jesus as he passed by (Luke 19:1-4). You may find it difficult to believe that this tree is actually 2000 years old however.
After a few minutes we continued on to Tell es-Sultan, the site of ancient Jericho. Just thinking about this city conjures up images of Israelites marching, the sound of trumpets and walls falling down (Joshua 6:1-21). What you find is a 15 metre high mound (“Tell” in Arabic) of earth covering approximately 2.5 hectares. Archeologists have sliced trenches deep into this mound and uncovered 23 successive settlements built atop each other. The oldest layer dates back to 8000 BCE. A number of signs highlight the structures found within each trench.
Discoveries include an 8 meter high round tower constructed of stones to a diameter of 7.6 meters which dates to 7000 BCE. This tower is attached to the interior of a 4 meter thick defensive wall. Twenty-two narrow steps made from dried mud form the world’s oldest spiral staircase. Another location features a Canaanite Palace from the second millennium BCE and a royal tomb.
The slope of one of the “Tell” layers dating to the Middle Bronze Age (1650-1550 BCE) was fortified by an earthen embankment with a mud brick wall at its summit. A large retaining wall at the base of the embankment was constructed from Cyclopean stones. This Cyclopean wall also supported a second mud brick wall at a height of 8 meters. This second mud brick wall, believed to have been about 70 centimeters thick, was uncovered in a collapsed state, possibly having been leveled by an earthquake. The nearby Jordan Valley is known to have a fault line running through it and earthquakes have been recorded at various times in history.
There is much debate about when Jericho fell to the Israelites. Archeologists place the dates anywhere from 1550 to 1200 BCE. Therefore these defensive walls appear to be the most likely candidate for those destroyed by Joshua’s army.
Exiting the archeological site, walk a short distance to the cable car and ride it up to the Monastery of Temptation set on the side of a nearby mountain. Administered by the Greek Orthodox Church, this monastery is situated on the traditional site where Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness while being tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13 and Mark 1:12-13).
Upon reaching the top of the cable car line, several flights of stairs still remain before you reach the monastery entrance. At the time of our visit, we were greeted by one of the two monks who reside on site. The other was quite elderly and did not appear to be too mobile. These monks cap off a long history that spans more than 1000 years of residence here.
Inside the monastery, you pass down a long hallway that is open to the sky. This hallway runs along the sheer rock face where several caves have been hollowed out. The outer wall is a row of doors that open into rooms that have been cantilevered from the cliff.
The interior of the monastery chapel is adorned with a number of icons. One pillar features St. Helena and Constantine. There are also two recessed areas with frescos of Jesus and Mary while a side wall depicts Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:13-17). Climb the stairs in the chapel and you will find a stone that tradition holds is where Jesus sat during one of his temptations.
Exiting the monastery, you may wish to enjoy the panoramic view of the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea from your mountain perch. You might be able to ask one of the monks if he would point out the traditional site of Jesus’ baptism at Qasr El-Yahuda which is only about 8 km away. This is also the traditional site where the Israelites first entered the Promised Land (Joshua 3:14-17). Present day Qasr El-Yahuda is situated on an Israeli military base so your Palestinian taxi driver cannot bring you there. You will have to be satisfied with seeing it from a distance.
After descending by cable car, your next destination is Hisham’s Palace which was built by Caliph Hisham Bin Abdul Malik (724-743 CE) but never completed. The construction site was later leveled by an earthquake in 749 CE. Several layers of limestone blocks define all that remains of a once two-story building that served as a winter palace. The rooms of the palace were set around an inner portico and each corner of the structure had a cylindrical tower. A large hexagonal limestone star, cut from a single block of limestone, is believed to be all that remains of an upper window from this palace.
The site also features the remnants of a mosque that was set within an octagonal pavilion. Coincidentally the Muslim call to prayer sounded in the distance as we visited this room.
Just north of the palace you find the remains of a bath complex. The reception room features a beautiful mosaic on the floor depicting the “Tree of Life”. Three gazelles graze at the bottom of the fruit tree and a lion is ready to pounce on one of them. The bathing rooms, set along the northern wall of the bath house, were heated by hypocausts.
When you complete your visit to Hisham’s Palace, return to Abu Dis. Along the way, you can still see Bedouin tending sheep on the hillsides or guiding a colorfully decorated camel along the roadside. A once-nomadic people, many Bedouin have settled down and now live in their own homes, which would not appear to be out of place in a shanty town. They represent a time when life was much simpler; and perhaps thinking of simpler times might help to diffuse some of the tension that now permeates the West Bank.
Hebron Day Trip from Jerusalem: Israeli-Palestinian Sites
If You Go:
♦ Do not use a rental car when visiting Hebron and Jericho. Cars with Israeli licenses will not be welcome in these cities. Alternatively cars with Palestinian license plates will not be welcomed into Jewish areas.
♦ There is presently no direct service from Jerusalem to Jericho. You must use bus #36 at the Arab bus station outside the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem’s old city to travel to Abu Dis. In Abu Dis, hire a taxi to bring you to Jericho and drive you around. The driver should also wait for you as you visit sites. You will have to negotiate a price for the taxi.
♦ Hebron should be visited with a Palestinian tour company. You can visit both Hebron and Jericho with Green Olive Tours.
♦ Always have your passport with you. You will subject to Israeli security checks when you cross wall that separates the West Bank from Israel.
♦ Women should cover their heads when they enter a mosque. Scarves are provided at the mosque entrance. Men should cover their heads when they enter a synagogue. People should also remove their shoes when they enter a mosque.
♦ An Nabi Musa is situated about 11 km south of Jericho and 20 km east of Jerusalem. Admission to the mosque is free.
♦ Tell es-Sultan (ancient Jericho) is approximately 2 km north of the present city. Admission to Tell es-Sultan was 10 shekels at the time of our visit.
♦ The cable car ride up to the Monastery of Temptation cost 55 Shekels at the time of our visit. Alternatively you can also walk up to the monastery using a steep path. Photography is not permitted inside the chapel.
♦ Hisham’s Palace is approximately 5 km north of modern Jericho. Admission was 10 Skekels at the time of our visit.
♦ Remember to use sunscreen and a hat when visiting the sites. Jericho is situated in a desert so bring plenty of drinking water if you plan to do a great deal of walking.
Private Day Tour Jericho and Dead Sea from Jerusalem Hotels
About the author:
Troy Herrick is a freelance travel writer who has traveled extensively in North America, the Caribbean, Europe and parts of South America. His articles have appeared in Live Life Travel, International Living, Offbeat Travel and Travel Thru History Magazines.
Photographs:
All photos are by Diane Gagnon, a freelance photographer who has traveled extensively in North America, the Caribbean, Europe and parts of South America. Her photographs have accompanied Troy Herrick’s articles in Live Life Travel, Offbeat Travel and Travel Thru History Magazines.
Synagogue at the Tomb of the Patriarchs
Prayer Hall in the Mosque of Ibrahimi
Tomb of the Patriarchs – from the Jewish side
Abraham’s Cenotaph
Caravanserai at An Nabi Musa
Tell es-Sultan – round tower
Tell es-Sultan – Cyclopean Tower
Monastery of Temptation – cable car at Jericho
Monastery of Temptation – rock on which Jesus sat
Jericho – Hisham’s Palace
Bedouin settlement
Jesus settled in the ancient fishing village of Capernaum after having left Nazareth (Matthew 1:13, 9:1, Mark 2:1). Entering this archeological site today, you are greeted by a statue of St. Peter set just inside the “not-so-pearly” gates. Looking around, you may be surprised that the site before you is from the Byzantine Period and that nothing remains from the time of Jesus.
The octagonal shaped Catholic Church is beautiful in its own right. The brightly lit room features eight wooden carvings depicting the life of Jesus lining the periphery. Your eyes are drawn to the altar with the panoramic view of the Sea of Galilee behind it. From here, it is easy to imagine fishermen in their boats casting their nets into the lake.
Constructed in 1933 on a rocky base at the shore of the Sea of Galilee by the Franciscans, this modest grey stone chapel is not the first church constructed on site. You can still see the remains of walls from an earlier church built in the 4th century CE on three sides of the building.
The focal point of this church is the brown limestone outcrop that seemingly serves as a barrier between the congregation and the altar. According to tradition Jesus laid out a meal of bread and fish for his disciples upon this rock known as the Mensa Christi. You can easily imagine a number of tired fishermen coming ashore after a long night in their boat and finding a warm meal waiting for them, prepared by a man who had risen from the dead.
The focal point of this church with its basic interior is the dark brown limestone rock located beneath the simple stone altar. The faithful believe that this 0.6 square meter (5.4 square foot) stone was used by Jesus as a table when performing the miracle. History records that pilgrims have chipped away pieces of this stone over time.
The Catholic Church on site, built in 1937, is set on the traditional site of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:20-22, Matthew 5:1-5). While there is no proof that the sermon actually occurred here, pilgrims have been drawn to this site since the 4th century CE, as evidenced by the ruins of a small church just down the hill from the present house of worship.
It takes about an hour by car to cross the 70 kilometers of straight desert road to get to Takht-e-Jamshid, Persepolis. A little way outside the site are the rock-cut tombs of Naksh-e-Rustam. High up on a flat rock face the idealised figures of several Achaemenid kings glare out from a set of royal tombs. Cut so high that they were only accessible with ropes, I have to crane my neck and strain my eyes to make out the images of several Persian kings, the builders of Persepolis. Below the tombs the later Sassanian dynasty also left a vivid reminder. In this image the Iranian king Shapur I, sits tall astride his war-horse whilst in front a Roman emperor bends a knee and begs the king for mercy. All these thousands of years later the tombs and images still retain their main purpose of demonstrating the power of the Persian kings.
Over two thousand years ago people trekked into the Southern Iranian desert bearing tribute to the mighty Persian Empire whose king sat enthroned in the courtyards and spacious halls of Persepolis. This gave the grand city its reputation as the most hated in the world and ultimately caused its fiery destruction by Alexander the Great. It never recovered from this destruction and the hollowed out shade of the city was left abandoned to the desert for centuries.
Once in the site, I came first to the impressive Gate of All Nations. The name referring to the subjects of the empire who would have had to pass through here. Above me loomed two huge human headed winged lions, their eroded bodies incised with the vertical and horizontal lines of three different languages which proclaim Xerxes I as their builder. The grand courtyard these beasts guard having long since vanished their intimidating bulk at least offers some protective shade. A little further on a finely carved capital of two bull’s heads lays flat on the ground. Unlike much else here they look fresh, pristine, as if just carved out of gleaming marble. It’s difficult to imagine that their huge weight could once have been hauled up to top a slender column.
One of the finest surviving elements of the site is the grand staircase which led to the Apadana Palace. The sides of the stairs contain some of the best surviving sculpture. It was here that the subject peoples would have to come bearing tribute. At the bottom of the staircase a lion grapples fiercely with a fleeing bull. This common piece of Persian iconography is still striking today. Climbing the staircase I was accompanied by the subject peoples. Greeks, Egyptians, Scythians, Afghans and a myriad others all processing up the steps to the palace at the top. The steps are cut deliberately shallow so you have to slow your pace and walk carefully before entering the presence of the King.
The fighting animals, strong soldiers and exotic subjects which lined the walls and the sheer opulence of the place must have made entering Persepolis an intimidating experience. Many from beyond Persia would only have come to Persepolis under compulsion. It is not surprising then that it was such a feared and hated place, the object of vengeful dreams for many people, despite its beauty. Once Alexander the Great defeated Persia and captured the city he had it burnt to the ground before leaving. As the architectural symbol of the Persian Empire, Alexander reckoned he could not leave it standing. The fire would have quickly rose and engulfed the wooden beams of the roof and brought them crashing down. Traces of this fiery end can still be seen across the site which was never rebuilt.
Rani our tour guide opened a door and ushered us out onto the grounds of Nazareth Village, a reconstruction of Jesus’ old neighbourhood. As he did so, I suddenly remembered that Rod Serling began every episode of the Twilight Zone with “you unlock this door with the key of imagination”. We knew that we had arrived in the past when we were almost bowled over by an oncoming shepherd and his five sheep. With very little effort he ushered his flock into a circular pen constructed of standing sticks. My second thought was to watch where I stepped, just in case.
A short distance away, seated outside the doorway of her stone house, a middle-aged woman sits and spins wool by means of a hand spindle. As some of the tour group found out, it is a great deal more difficult than it looks. Our guide outlines the steps required to process and dye the wool with natural colours from pomegranate and onion skin before it is woven into a garment.
he young Jesus would have also attended school. In those days, the local synagogue served as the community school. We entered the house of worship to find three tiers of benches lining the greyish-white walls; a wooden bench at the centre of the room held the Torah Scroll. This synagogue and all other building were reconstructed by referencing the best New Testament and archaeological sources available.
Present day Nazareth is a bustling city of approximately 70,000 people, a far cry from the 400 or so people living here at the time of Jesus. Work your way north along traffic-clogged Paulus VI Street and be thankful that you are not driving. Your first destination is St. Gabriel’s Church, the most distant site.
Retracing your steps along Paulus VI Street, turn right onto Casa Nova Street and arrive at the Roman Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation – the largest church in the Middle East. This church was built over the Grotto of the Annunciation, an ancient cave dwelling, traditionally accepted as being Mary’s home when she was visited by the Angel Gabriel. I could find no scriptural reference suggesting Mary lived in such a structure however.
Above the grotto structure you find a large octagonal opening in the ceiling providing you with a view of the upper church. The dark brown cupola of the upper church roof is also visible, extending to a dizzying height of 60 meters. The ribs of the cupola represent the petals of an upside-down lily, symbolic of Mary’s purity. To visit the upper church, ascend the staircase just inside the doorway of the lower church.
Christian tradition dating to the 7th century CE has it that Joseph’s house and carpenter shop were located on the site of the present Church of St. Joseph. Inside, the bare stone crypt features several rock-hewn chambers, a cistern and several silos for storing grain. A mosaic floor dates from Byzantine times. The nearby side chapel marks the spot where Joseph was visited by an angel as he slept (Matthew 1:20).
The Mount of the Precipice, 297 meters high, is now a park. From a lookout at the summit, you have a panoramic view of the surrounding area including distant Mount Tabor – the traditional site of the Transfiguration. But that journey will have to wait for another day. Instead you may wish to enjoy a leisurely stroll along the gravel path at the cliff’s edge and contemplate the meaning of your daytrip. As you take in the scenery, the essence of Jesus seems closer even though almost 2000 years have passed since he resided in his hometown of Nazareth.
For millennia, this mediaeval promontory, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited locations, was a site of strategic military importance due to its commanding position on the trade route between Egypt and Syria. It is not surprising, therefore, that Acre’s history is a series of tumultuous invasions, defeats, victories and conquests that have played out over 1000’s of years by a multitude of conquering empires. Today, however, families of all nationalities and faiths live side by side in harmony in Acre, and the only shots heard over this UNESCO world heritage city come from cameras that belong to the army of tourists hungry to photograph this magnificent and intriguing historical site. Because even in this region of the world that teems with rich archaeological wonders, Akko stands out.
The tunnel, now restored and endowed with lighting, signage and a boardwalk alongside which rainwater flows freely to the sea, shrinks to just one meter in height before opening up to ground level at the resplendent Ottoman-built Pillar’s Inn (Khan Al-Umdan), a large multi-arched caravanserai, which was once the hub of international trade. From here, my explorations remain at ground level and lead me into the colorful Suk, the vibrant market street that forms the main thoroughfare of the Old City. It is midmorning and the market is crowded and bustling with activity as the locals attend to their shopping needs. Sweet stalls, vegetable stands, and shops selling clothing, ornaments, perfumes and other oriental artifacts, mix with bakeries, falafel shops, fishmongers and butchers stands, beneath which countless street cats make a healthy, if furtive, living. I amble slowly absorbing the sights and smells, and stop frequently to sample the delicious foods on offer.
The market street snakes past the beautiful emerald-domed Al-Jezzar mosque and towards the main citadel complex where archaeological excavations allow the visitor to literally descend through the layers of history. At the modern, and mercifully well air-conditioned, visitor center, I rent an audio guide and embark on my own discovery of these fascinating ruins. I am guided aurally through the existing fortress building, an Ottoman fortification that was built on the foundations of the ruined Crusader citadel, and then down to the underground Prisoner’s Hall, where during the period of British mandate hundreds of members of Jewish resistance movements (Haganah, Irgun and Lehi) were held prisoner and even executed. The tour then descends further underground to the recently excavated Knights’ Hall comprising a series of long narrow chambers with ten meter high vaulted ceilings and massive dividing walls connected by great arched entrances. Also preserved in time are the remains of a dungeon, living quarters, and a mediaeval church. Tantalizingly, some of the rooms of this impressive feat of 13th century architecture remain roped off with teams of archaeologists and engineers busy with ongoing excavations: a promise of more exciting discoveries for future generations of tourists to behold.
Ascending from the cavernous subterranean ruins of the Knights Hall I find myself at the entrance to the Hamam al Basha, a traditional 18th century Turkish bathhouse that remained in use until the 1940’s. Today the bathhouse has been reinvented as a light and sound experience in which a moderately humorous but slightly lengthy video presentation attempts to portray everyday life in the bathhouse culture. Despite the cheesy audio-visuals, the expertly restored, beautifully ornate bathhouse is well worth a visit. The entrance is a superb, domed-roof, marble room decorated with exquisite traditional ceramic tiles. A large marble fountain takes pride of place in the center of the room. At the base of the tiled walls there are small cavities, lockers of the past, which would one day have held the shoes and belongings of bathers. I take my sandals off and the chill of the 200-year-old marble floor feels wonderful on my weary feet. I proceed barefoot through a narrow corridor of smaller rooms where some of the more refined aspects of personal grooming and hygiene would have occurred, and into the main steam room – the social heart of the hamam. Here the domed ceiling has been perforated with geometrically placed holes through which hundreds of shafts of light penetrate to the raised marble massage area below. The dappled light is soothing and serene. Sculpted bronze figures and other relics placed around the large octagonal steam room help to recreate the authentic renowned feeling of communal relaxation for which the Turkish hamams were famous.
