People of Old Jerusalem

Throughout history no other city has inspired or incited quite as many passions as Jerusalem — especially the section known as Old Jerusalem — which stands not only as the eternal capital of the Jewish people and the state of Israel, and as a sacred monument to the remarkable kaleidoscope of beliefs that make up the Christian and Islamic faiths, but also as an unparalleled aesthetic treasure. And it was the Old City, with its multitude of shrines and mixture of races, that captivated William Papas. He spent three months in Jerusalem, living only a hundred yards from the Jaffa Gate — the western entrance to the walled city — getting to know and experience its daily life, and meeting and sketching its various inhabitants. People of Old Jerusalem, an extraordinarily beautiful book about a unique area, its people, and traditions, is the imaginative result of his pilgrimage. Papas's brilliant impressionistic watercolors, chock full of vibrant colors and characters, combine with his elegant commentary to create a truly evocative portrait of this complex and colorful city within a city. Highlighted are some of the most important religious temples in the world, including the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock, and the Tomb of the Holy Sepulchre, as well as some of the less formal sites where visitors and residents go to barter and converse.