Jerusalem's Built Environment: Past and Present

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Stand atop the Mount of Olives and look towards Jerusalem skyline. In the foreground, nearly three rows of walls divide the land before the Temple Mount. The wall's parapets are complete with Merlons and Crenels: architectural features that are distinctly Medieval. Atop the Temple Mount, the Dome of the Rock glistens in the sunlight. To the right, the matte gray dome of the Al Aqsa Mosque stands. Both Islamic holy sites sit upon one massive limestone platform. A Roman colonnade is situated behind. The tower of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher looms even further in the distance. These temples, walls, and architectural features are all pieces of Jerusalem's built environment. Throughout Jerusalem's history, various ethnic groups have used architecture as a means to not only control the built environment but to assert their political dominance over the land. The Romans, the Crusaders, the Islamic Empire, and similar variants have all used this method to conquer and control Jerusalem. As one empire fades away and a new group attains power, fragments of the former empire's glory remain. The city's cycles of invasion and settlement are written in stone. This cycle remains active as the built environment of Jerusalem continues to be shaped by its governing body: the Israeli state. By comparing and contrasting changes that past empires have implemented upon Jerusalem's built environment with Israel's urban planning policies and architectural projects, it becomes evident that Jerusalem's status as a contested city is not only a religious struggle, but also a political struggle between two ethnic groups.

Corichancha and Convent of Santo Domingo

Apart from its inherent ability to center religions and cultures, sacred space can be used as a political tool. Take the Coricancha in Cusco, Peru. A temple built at the confluence of two rivers, it represented the Axis Mundi of the Inca spiritual world. It remained their "organizing pivot of heaven" until the 16th century and the Spanish Conquest of the Americas. Unable to remove the structure altogether, the colonialists demolished the upper portion of the temple and built over its foundation the Convent of Santo Domingo. The Spanish realized that they could weaken indigenous cultures by taking control of their sacred space. It was so effective at crushing any rebellion that it became standard practice for Catholic churches to be built over nearly all indigenous temples.

However, the Spanish were not as original as they may have believed. In 67 AD, in response to the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt, Roman emperor Vespasian sent forth his son Titus to besiege the city of Jerusalem. Once the Romans had stormed the city, their last battle was to destroy the Second Temple. So holy was the temple to the Jewish people, that many Jews lost their lives defending it and after its destruction, many abandoned Judaism altogether (Armstrong). In its place, the Romans built a temple to honor their god, Jupiter. Jupiter's temple fell into ruin during the Byzantine period; however, the remnants of the Roman empire still stand within the city. A triumphal arch commemorates Titus's victory over Jerusalem and shines turn up after every archeological dig. Both the Spanish and the Romans destroyed and built sacred spaces to symbolize their political dominance over the native population living within their conquered territory.

Roman Destruction of the Second Temple

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Today Jerusalem is shared by three faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All groups have their own designated sacred spaces: the Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the Haram Al-Sharif. Unfortunately, Jerusalem remains a city torn between the Israeli and Palestine state. Mark Ellis in his essay discussing indigenous minority rights, describes how a colonialism "once defined in terms of military empires and foreign governance" has given way to a "colonialism defined broadly as the power of a relentless modern sensibility," (Ellis). Governing bodies of the past used their military might to control their colonies. Today, governing bodies solidify their power through the use of systems and imposed state structures. This information is relevant when we consider East Jerusalem's status as a contested space.

The Israeli state may not fit the exact definition of a colonialist; however, they have imposed systems to control the built environment indirectly. Rather than destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque or Dome of the Rock: two sacred Islamic spaces, the Israeli state implements urban planning policies to solidify their political dominance over East Jerusalem, part of the West Bank. Since 1967, the forced demolition of homes, revocation of Palestinian residency permits have driven many Palestinians out of East Jerusalem (Thawaba). According to Human Rights Watch, it is nearly impossible for Palestinians to be granted building permits in Israeli controlled neighborhoods. In effect, this leaves Palestinians with no other choice than to build "illegally." The sad irony is that this system incentivizes Palestinians to self- demolish their own homes (Gilbert). Additionally, in 2000, the Israeli state created a soft border between both the seam of East and West Jerusalem and along the boundary of Jerusalem and the West Bank (Thawaba). Roadblocks, police checkpoints, the destruction roads, and creation of walls of features of the built environment designed to enforce the Israeli state's agenda. The changes enlarge the areas of East Jerusalem under Israeli control and spatially segregate Palestinian communities, in effect making it nearly impossible for them to create a hub or center.

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Both the Roman Empire and the Israeli state are altering the built environment of Jerusalem. By destroying the second temple, the Romans disrupted the Jewish narrative and claim to the city. The Israeli state's planning policies are more indirect, but still fulfill the same purpose: to eradicate the potential formation of a prominent Palestinian narrative and sense of agency. In this way, the destruction of the second temple is similar to the demolitions of Palestinian homes. Fortunately, there is hope. The Romans thought they had eradicated the Jewish claim to the city, but history has proved them wrong. The Israeli state may try to eliminate the Palestinian claim to Jerusalem. However, they forgot about a critical truism: changes to the built environment are only temporary.

References

Armstrong, Karen. One City, Three Faiths. HarperCollins, 1996.

Ellis, Mark. “Indigenous Minority Rights, Citizenship and the New Jerusalem.” Israel and Palestine out of the Ashes: The Search for Jewish Identity in the Twenty-First Century. Pluto Press, 2002, pp. 73–85.

Gilbert, Sam, and Dylan Collins. “Palestinians Are Being Forced to Destroy Their Own Homes.” Vice, VICE, 15 Apr. 2014.

Thawaba, Salem A. “Jerusalem Walls: Transforming and Segregating Urban Fabric.” African & Asian Studies, vol. 10, no. 2/3, May 2011.

Pledged, Amelia Weir