History

The complexity and vibrancy of the food in Jerusalem stems from its location as a meeting point between Europe, Asia and Africa and the incredible richness of its history. Jerusalem was traditionally depicted, as in this medieval map, as the centre of the universe, surrounded by three continents. Indeed, there are few places in the world to match its importance. Yet Jerusalem has never been a great metropolis. It has never had temples as big as those of Luxor, art as refined as Greece, or public buildings as magnificent as those of Rome. It didn’t possess large imperial courts like those of China or India, or busy commerce hubs as in central Asia. It has always been a rather small and crowded city, built of the stone of its surrounding hills.