The narrow limestone streets and exotic storefronts are a scene from another age, particularly Pope Paul VI St, Star St and the narrow alleys connecting the two. Visit on a Sunday to experience some church services. Most in attendance will be Palestinians and resident monks and nuns, but visitors are welcome to attend or stop in for a few moments of contemplation.
Spend a Sunday morning dropping discreetly in and out of the sights. Set out early to the 19th-century Lutheran Christmas Church to experience a Lutheran service. Then head towards Manger Sq to the more modern St Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church , where Sunday Mass is held in Syriac. Descend the stairs to Manger Sq and enter the Church of the Nativity to find a Greek Orthodox service in session. Tiptoe through the cloisters around to the left and through a passage to St Catherine’s Church for a Roman Catholic Mass.
And finally, don’t miss a visit to the little souq , with its range of fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, junk, shoes and some mighty tasty snacks. Known to locals as the Green Market, the souq was established in 1929.
