RAMALLAH SANCTUARY

Modern Ramallah was founded in the mid-16th century by the Haddadins, a Jordanian tribe of brothers descended from Ghassanid Christian Arabs. They are said to have moved to this high mountain area to escape conflict with Moslem tribes closer to the Jordan valley.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramallah

The Christian origin of Ramallah introduced a human dynamic that shapes the City and Palestinian politics to this day. Christian social and cultural links led to emigration to America in centuries past and resulted in links to American churches which have made a significant contribution to the education and advancement of Ramallah citizenry. 

 http://www.ramallahquakers.org/index.html

The Christian and western cultural history - mostly in the western downtown area - results in women pedestrians being allowed, for the time being, to wear European fashions without the harassment and abuse normally required in Islamic Arab society.

A landmark feature of Ramallah is the "Fountain with Lions" in the center of town. 

  The lions are a fairly recent feature and were sculpted in China. An apparent glich in communication with the Chinese supplier resulted in one of the lions having a wristwatch carved onto its leg.

 

 A more complete description of the lions is provided in this link.

http://www.jkcook.net/Articles1/0096.htm

 Ramallah is increasingly referred to as the defacto capital of Palestine – since Palestinian Authority government buildings are located here. The flourishing economy is driven by donor aid, government revenue and external remittances – which is, apparently - no less sustainable than other economies in the region. There are good restaurants and stores sell fine wines and alcohols such as the famous “Golden Arak of Ramallah” (an anise based liquor – like Ouzo). The standard of the retail shops reflect a higher standard than is typical in the West Bank.

Down town traffic is typically thick   . . . . .  

 

 . . . . . . and the shop selling delicious and fresh falafel sandwiches on Arafat Square (4 shekels each - about a $1.10), almost never closes.

 

At almost 900 metres, Ramallah is slightly higher and colder than Jerusalem – which is located about 10 kilometres to the south. Cold winds and heavy snowfall have been common in the past – but has been less common in recent years.

CHAOS RELOADED

The blaring of car horns and celebratory gun-shots marked the arrival of hundreds of prisoners released on this day from Israeli prisons.

The release was celebrated with heart-felt family reunions and a frenzy of breaking the nearest available laws –  mostly traffic laws and bylaws forbidding the discharge of weapons within municipal boundaries. 

 

Mostly minor criminals imprisoned for car theft, and occasional stone-throwing, the released prisoners are now declared national heroes and will receive public welfare allowances to assist their reintroduction to society – such as it is.

GALLERY MOMENTS

The Tel Aviv Art Museum is located in north central Tel Aviv and is a place to mingle with art-going crowds on a Saturday afternoon.

 

Humanistic sculpture in the courtyard evokes a dramatic contrast with the social-cultural norms of regional neighbours.

 

 Another sculpture, inside the gallery, offered a retrospective in steel plate on the last moments of recent generations.

 

While taking photos of the Art is discouraged by gallery guards - the curators present a ballet of ideas – to dance to each mind’s music.

In the original gallery building a show offers "dialogue" between the world views of different art / artists.

And  . . . .for another contemporary photo exhibit - the photos evoke motion and destination. . . .


In another hall, in the new gallery annex, art from the decades prior to the emergence of Israel defines an emerging collective identity.

  . . . . and this dynamic of awareness grows and focuses within new discovered worlds of personal experience  . . .  in the decades following the foundation of Israel.

An engineering/architecture exhibit put the development and building of the Tel Aviv Art Gallery into the context of moments in time.

In another hall, sketches by Picasso were used to explain the emergence of structure and emotion in one human's imagination.

More information at:

http://www.tamuseum.com/

JOURNEY’S WINDOW

The time traveler’s sudden destinations are sometimes dark and unexpected. This most recent destination, however, features light and a window to a busy road.  Morning views are open to reflected sunlight - from nearby buildings. Including this building – sized cubist interpretation of reflected landscape.

Views from the balcony reveal a landscape of emerging commercial construction where a few years ago only sheep and goats roamed.  To the north . . .

To the West . . .

And to the south . . .

 

 And, around the corner of the balcony . . .to the rising sun . . . on yet another day.