speaking of death..

i can now die a little bit happier. after years of anticipation, i finally visited the dome of the rock. it was quite a process, winding through the old city, getting in through the western wall (security check), finding the bridge to the temple mount (security check), and then there it was, big shiny gold dome and all. honestly, what would the jerusalem skyline be without it? i ask you.
what can i say? it was exquisite. the tiles were all beautiful (blues, yellows, and teals). i took many pictures in attempts of proving just that (see above) but i know they can only do so much. the one disappointment was that we could not go inside. we knew this was a possibility yet it was still upsetting. (really, how can you have a monopoly on a site that's integral to all three abrahamic religions?) however, i managed to linger around and look pitiful enough that the guard offered to let me peek inside. gold mosaics and red carpets were all i could see. not even the famous rock. though i noted, with some satisfaction, that the interior of the dome was obscured by scaffolding.

also of note, there were very few tour groups on the temple mount when we were there. (though in fairness it was rather early.) i mention this only because tour groups (usually of a religious nature) are ubiquitous throughout the city. normally you can't turn around without bumping into a large mass of people with matching hats taking up an entire alleyway. it makes me wonder if there are people who come to jerusalem without visiting the dome of the rock.
blasphemy!