Jerusalem A New History of the Old City

In Jerusalem, what you see and what is true are two different things. Beyond the crush and frenzy of a few tourist sites, the Old City within its medieval walls remains largely unknown to visitors, its people ignored and its stories untold. Nine Quarters of Jerusalem lets the communities of the Old City speak for themselves. Ranging from past to present, highlighting stories and personalities across faiths and outlooks, it evokes the city's depth and cultural diversity. Matthew Teller's highly original book evokes a sense of place through Jerusalem's diverse quarters and populations - its Palestinian and Jewish communities, of course, but also its African and Indian voices, its Greek and Armenian and Syriac communities, its downtrodden Gypsy families and its Sufi mystics. It discusses the sources of the city's holiness and the ideas - often startlingly secular - that have shaped lives within its walls. It is an evocation of place through story, led by the voices of Jerusalemites.