Description

Category:HistoryAsianMiddle Eastern History-Meh
Publisher: Profile Uk | ISBN: 9781788169196 | Pages: 400

Original and illuminating ... what a good book this is Jonathan Dimbleby A love letter to the people of the Old City Jerusalem Post In Jerusalem, what you see and what is true are two different things. Maps divide the walled Old City into four quarters, yet that division doesn t reflect the reality of mixed and diverse neighbourhoods. Beyond the crush and frenzy of its major religious sites, much of the Old City remains little known to visitors, its people overlooked and their stories untold. Nine Quarters of Jerusalem lets the communities of the Old City speak for themselves. Ranging through ancient past and political present, it evokes the city s depth and cultural diversity. Matthew Teller s highly original biography features the Old City s Palestinian and Jewish communities, but also spotlights its Indian and African populations, its Greek and Armenian and Syriac cultures, its downtrodden Dom Gypsy families and its Sufi mystics. It discusses the sources of Jerusalem s holiness and the ideas - often startlingly secular - that have shaped lives within its walls. Nine Quarters of Jerusalem is an evocation of place through story, led by the voices of Jerusalemites.

About the Author

Matthew Teller writes for the BBC, Guardian, Independent, Times, Financial Times and other global media. He has produced and presented documentaries for BBC Radio 4 and World Service, and has reported for From Our Own Correspondent from around the Middle East and beyond. He is the author of several travel guides, including the Rough Guide to Jordan; his most recent book is Quite Alone: Journalism from the Middle East 2008-2019.