June 2008
Jerusalem undecided – bridge a blessing or a curse?
Resident’s of capital stood in teeming traffic Wednesday as city hosted gala event in honor of new 118 meter high bridge designed by world-famous architect Calatrava. ‘It look like giant crooked nail,’ one bystander said
A ship’s sail, a crooked nail, or a giant headache – Jerusalemites can’t agree about how best to describe the newest landmark the capital city was inaugurating Wednesday. The $73 million bridge, designed by the Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava, has suddenly become the most dominant shape on the historic city’s skyline.
The bridge, which curves across Jerusalem’s western entrance and will eventually carry a new light rail line, is suspended from 66 white cables attached to a spire 118 meters high that towers over the surrounding rooftops and is visible from miles away.
Ceremony lights up capital. (Photo: Oren Rosenfeld)
An informal survey of residents Wednesday found them generally positive about the new addition, if unsure quite what to compare it to. “From everywhere in the city, it looks like a giant crooked nail,” cafe owner Yaron Kortik said.
Ran Yaakov, 17, a high school student, said the bridge reminded him of “David’s harp,” referring to the Biblical monarch and musician. Evyatar Tzuberi, 23, thought it looked like a ship’s sail. 19-year-old Orlie Marin compared it to a spider’s web.
At a news conference ahead of the opening Wednesday, Calatrava said the structure’s strength came from the fact that it is “120 percent modern” and yet has a “dialogue” with the rest of the city. “The most important aspect of the bridge is being in Jerusalem,” said Calatrava, who designed the “Turning Torso” Building in Malmo, Sweden and is behind the planned transportation hub at Ground Zero in New York.
Associated Press
| Published: | 06.25.08, 22:20 / Israel News |
Israeli birds of prey in midair deathmatch
Gilad Fridman from the Tel Aviv University is researching the long-legged buzzard, together with the Jewish National Fund and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.
Last weekend, he noticed a buzzard (top bird) attacking the nest of another bird of prey-the snake-eagle. The eagle couple in the nest, in efforts to protect their eaglet, began fighting with the buzzard in midair.
According to Friedman, the battle lasted some 15 minutes. The buzzard, the quicker of the two species, handed the eagles some heavy blows during the fight, he said.
Fridman’s research exposed a unique phenomenon: the buzzards stopped nesting in the cliffs of the Judea mountains, and moved their nests into the trees of the Judea plain, an area which boasts the highest density of snake-eagles in the world. The two species began fighting over territory and food sources, and several eaglets were devoured during the battles.
The City of David
Four thousand years of history have been revealed by the exciting City of David, where visitors gain important understanding of Jerusalem’s unique place in the world.
The City of David Visitor Center has been built overlooking the fascinating remains of a monumental building some believe was the palace of Jerusalem’s kings.
A huge water cistern evokes the story of Jeremiah’s imprisonment (Jer. 38:6). The touring route descends via Warren’s Shaft and more recently discovered tunnels to the Gihon Spring where Solomon was crowned (1 Kings 1:33). The walk then continues to remnants of the actual Siloam Pool from Second Temple times, where the blind man healed by Jesus washed (John 9:11).
The adventurous can then slosh 1,500 feet through Hezekiah’s Tunnel (2 Chron. 32:30), or take the “dry walk” through another ancient conduit. Wet or dry, the City of David is a must-see on any Jerusalem itinerary.
On Lebamom border
| Rosh Haniqra The “elephant foot” of Rosh Haniqra, is an artwork by “master nature” that can be seen from afar. The cable car takes visitors down to the beautiful cave system the the sea’s waves and winds have formed from the giant white chalk rock. The tour on the coastline is a splendid combination of amazing sights accompanied by the whistling wind and the rushing sea waves |
Sderot bus stop
Sderot, next door to Gaza. Almost every day rockets are sent to the city forom Gza for the last eight years.
If you need a bus that is the bus station.