The Old City in Jerusalem is a walk back in time -- as far back as 2,000 years in some cases. For millennia, Jerusalem has been a cultural focal point and a strategic location, a small vantage point in the desert that became a crossroads of world history. At less than half-a-mile square, the Old City is the place where histories collide and the relics left behind are testament to the struggle for religion, spirituality, and often dominance.
The Old City of Jerusalem is a walled area inside the modern city, and is the place where many key religious sites are located: The Temple Mount and Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Dome of the Rock, among others. Roughly divided into the Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Armenian Quarters, the entire area is governed and controlled by the State of Israel. It is the crossroads where three of the world's great faiths intersect and interact, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Monastery is under the jurisdiction of the Church of Jerusalem, and is located just below the Israel Museum and the Knesset. Built in the 11th century, it is believed to have been initially consecrated under Constantine the Great. The church was later given to Mirian III of Kartli after the kingdom converted to Christianity, and later was sold to the Greeks in order to cover numerous debts. Today, it is cared for and occupied by monks of the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Most of the grounds and complex have had extensive renovation and rebuilding over the centuries, but parts of a Crusades-era monastery still stand.
Inside the early Crusades part of the monastery, there is a church and grotto, with a small window set into the ground. This is reportedly the spot where the tree that became wood for the true cross, once grew. The monastery is also said to be the burial spot for Adam's head -- although at least two other locations lay claim to the same distinction -- and that it is from his head that the tree of the cross grew. Other artifacts from the 4th century are rare, but there are some valuable pieces of original mosaic fragments, and the library has a priceless collection of Georgian manuscripts.
Despite several incidents of vandalism, including defacement of a fresco of the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli in 2004, the monastery welcomes and encourages visitors to walk freely about the compound and explore its treasures, and is open every day except Sunday. Examples of monastic life here are prominently displayed, as it is also home to an active religious community to this day.
