Friday, July 07, 2006

A Hidden Gem of Jerusalem

I was walking along a street in a Jerusalem neighborhood yesterday when I heard the sound of a waterfall. The sound surprised me since Jerusalem is not exactly known for its waterfalls, particularly in July. Perhaps I was imagining things, I thought. But it was real:

Hand-built waterfall

A little farther along, I discovered that whoever had built the waterfall had also built a wooden windmill:

Wooden windmill

There was a waterfall, complete with water wheel, beneath the windmill as well. The whole thing was operational, too. The arms of the windmill were turning, as was the water wheel, and the water—probably in a closed system—was flowing freely.

Below the windmill

Here is something that looks like a small chapel, with a staircase leading to it:

Wooden chapel

Here are two views of a wooden ship with a crocheted Israeli flag at its bow. From the front:

Wooden ship

From the side:

Wooden ship, right side

All of these amazing things are located at the entrance to an apartment building in Jerusalem. Has anyone else seen them? Does anyone out there know the story of these hidden gems and their builder?

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