Sightseeing in Jericho - what to see. Complete travel guide

Tourists interested in visiting one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world should visit Jericho. This is a Palestinian city on the bank of the Jordan River. The area, where the city is situated, is a desert. As the Dead Sea is situated twelve kilometers from the settlement, the area has unusual climatic conditions. It is possible to see how summer heat miraculously co-exists with a refreshing sea breeze. Jericho is mentioned in the Bible a number of times. The holy book calls it “a city of palm trees”. There is one more interesting fact about Jericho that differs it from other settlements – the city is situated more than 250 meters below the sea level.

First settlers on the land of Palestinian Jericho came here more than ten thousand years ago. However, first mentions of this place date back to 15 BC. This is what we can learn from the Bible. No one clearly knows the exact translation or meaning of the name “Jericho”. There are three major versions – “fragrant”, “moon”, and “the city of palm trees”. The Holy Scripture uses the last variant. Joshua was the first leader who captured the city. In his book, he described the siege of the settlement by the Israeli army in detail. The city turned into ruins, and Hiel of Bethel could restore it only in 870 BC.

During the Roman period, Mark Antony gave Jericho to Cleopatra as a gift but Augustus returned it to Herod the Great. At that time, the first winter palace appeared in the city. It became the ruler’s residence. During the Jewish War, which happened in the 60s-70s, Jericho once again suffered great damage. Later, Emperor Hadrian ordered to restore the city. The Arabs captured the settlement in the 7th century. After this event, Jews started settling in this region because Muslims had expelled them from the Arabian Peninsula. Jericho once again suffered much damage in the battle between the Crusaders and Muslims. After this event, the half-destroyed city “hibernated” until the 19th century. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Christian pilgrims from all over the world arrive in Jericho in order to visit Mount Quarantania or Mount of Temptation, the height of which is nearly four hundred meters. The ascension to the mountain starts from the main city ruins. Does the path look too complicated? No problem, there is a cable car that will take you to the top fast. The view from the top of the mount is truly mesmerizing and worth the effort. It is possible to see the ancient Palestinian city in detail. Walk a hundred meters on the mountain serpentine and you will reach an ancient monastery founded by Saint Chariton the Confessor in the 40s of the 4th century.

This monastery has an interesting design – all rooms in the building are carved in the rocks. There is an old chapel in one of the caves. The Bible tells that Jesus Christ was praying to God for forty days and nights in this cave. This area is recognized as the Holy Grotto of the Temptation of Christ nowadays. The monastery itself is not big but it looks so natural in the surrounding landscape that it creates an atmosphere of unity with the rest of the world. During a visit to the monastery, don’t forget to go to the “healing well”, water is which is believed to have healing properties. Finally, the Stone of Temptation is another popular attraction of the monastery.

The Monastery of the Temptation is not the only sacred place that is worth the attention of tourists. The Monastery of Gerasimus of the Jordan is also an interesting place to visit. This Christian shrine has managed to survive in many troubles and has retained its beauty. As it is not hard to guess, Saint Gerasimus of the Jordan was the founder of this monastery. Take a look at the paintings that decorate all walls inside the building. The mosaic floor of the inner yard is no less gorgeous.

If you take a look at the monastery from the side, it is easy to mistake it for a fortress or even a small castle. There is a small church on the low level of construction. This church is open in a cave where, according to the Bible, Mary with Josef and baby Jesus stayed when they had to escape to Egypt. This church still has an icon with presumably healing power – the icon of Nursing Madonna. Besides that, this part of the monastery has tombs of the saint martyrs killed by Persian warriors.

In addition to historic landmarks, Jericho is famous for its citrus gardens. When taking a walk in the city, it is easy to notice that citrus trees create small oases in the endless desert. As it was mentioned above, there is a theory that Jericho means “the city of palm trees”. It is not hard to see that this name describes the city precisely. Simply visit one of the citrus gardens where it is possible to see not only citrus trees such as the lemon, orange, and mandarin but also date and banana palm trees. There are such “mini jungles” near virtually every house or building.

As a rule, Arabian taxis bring tourists to Jericho. These taxis usually depart from the main bus station in East Jerusalem not far from Damascus or Shechem Gate. Fixed route buses will take you to the nearby settlement of al-Eizariya. Having reached this large village, get a taxi that will take you directly to Jericho. It is also possible to get on the bus to the Dead Sea. The bus stops at the crossroads that is the closest to Jericho. The distance to the city is roughly five kilometers.