It just so happens that our time in Jerusalem overlaps with the first night of Hanukkah. It’s extra special to wander around the Old City as locals light their menorahs and begin to celebrate this holiday.

Our hotel (the fancy Mamilla) is located right near the Jaffa Gate of the Old City. These first few shots are from the entrance at dusk.

This structure below is where King Herod once lived. You’ll recall he also had the fortress at Masada built for himself.

The streets throughout the Old City are lined with tourist shops, most notably those closest to the main entrance gates. The stone is occasionally slippery and I’m extra careful not to fall.

Here’s the Church of the Holy Sepulchre shortly after sunset:

Visitors kiss the Stone of the Anointing, the spot where Jesus’s body was prepped for burial.

And here’s the Sepulchre where Jesus is said to be buried. Even later in the evening, there is a long line to enter.

I visit the Western Wall as a group of young men rush outside of a nearby building and dance and sing in a large, joyous circle.

I walk up to the Western Wall and realize there’s a ceremony going on. They’ve just lit the menorah.

Since we only had a few minutes to visit earlier in the day, I take the time to snap photos and soak up the reflective environment of this sacred space.

Just after leaving the Western Wall, I pass by this young man on his front steps. The menorah next to him has already been lit.

I walk through the upscale Mamilla outdoor mall — comparable to the Grove for my Los Angeles friends — on the way back to our hotel (this photo was taken a previous day, hence the lighter sky).

The window of this shop catches my eye: Ahava sells beauty products made with salt and mud from the Dead Sea. Aren’t these salt sculptures impressive?

Of course I photograph this donut display along the Mamilla mall.

Earlier in the day I noticed signs for the Mamilla menorah lighting ceremony, and I’m delighted to stumble upon it now.

It was such a treat to be in Jerusalem on this important Jewish holiday. And to see the Old City at night feels like stepping back in time: I can more easily picture what it would’ve been like to walk these alleyways centuries ago.