Do You Know That? Palestine - City Of Bethlehem II.

As we have in the last part of this city mentioned, Bethlehem was for his history of several practically destroyed and built again conquered. The longest power held here the Ottoman Empire until the First World War, when the domination of the United Kingdom took over the British mandate of Palestine.

In 1947, when the Palestine was divided, Bethlehem should be part of Arab state, but Israeli War the following year caused the City acquired under the administration of the Kingdom of Jordan. Only in 1967, in the famous Six Day War, Israel gained territory again, and this situation lasted until the mid 90 years, when on the Israeli-Palestinian agreements basics, the city falls under the Palestinian national authority. As you can see, the soil "Holy Land" is really hot from time immemorial. Everyone here preaches the truth and interpretation of the same biblical story always joined with the death, blood and war…

Today Bethlehem is primarily a Muslim city, but here also live of the most numerous Christian communities. The main economic strength of the city is tourism, which culminates ever before Christmas whose symbol is just the birthplace of Jesus Christ, a temple of the Nativity. Probably the oldest Christian shrine, standing on the site of the alleged birth of Jesus, was built (around 300 AD) at the instigation of St. Helena, mother of Roman Emperor Constantine. In addition, there are Christians but also Jews, aimed primarily holy grave of the biblical hero Rachel.

Today's appearance is typical for Middle East: a very dry climate, proximity to arid semi-desert, omnipresent tourism, disorder and the mixture of cultures that brought about mainly your typical architectural elements, the atmosphere of bazaars, religious buildings, synagogues and mosques literally glued together. Walls covered with slogans and portraits of leaders of all parties and the tension that this piece of land may never disappear. That is, was and will be Bethlehem! Conflicts and blockades, military surveillance, checkpoints, and requiring constant permits and passes quite complicate any free movement, which affects just tourism, but not enough to the Nativity of the believers hated anyone. Such is the power of this sacred place.

As part of this comes at Christmas time, I can only hope that my description here too discouraged from building decoration typical of Bethlehem with a donkey, kings and manger and Bethlehem from now you will not be perceived only as a battlefield, which in the last half century or not. On the contrary, and despite some animosity followers of different religions, could serve as a good example of tolerance and coexistence for the 21st century. Representatives of most stakeholders are primarily business sense, and it is in today's world, especially tourism, and it would be surprising if this secure income someone threats...

Text: Jan Chaloupka

Photo: wikipedia common: Soman , B.Werner , W.Sewell, Gilabrand