Nine Quarters of Jerusalem: A New Biography of the Old City (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781635423341)

This unique, absorbing biography of Jerusalem brings to light its overlooked histories and diverse contemporary voices.

In Jerusalem, what you see and what is true are two different things. The Old City has never had "four quarters" as its maps proclaim. And beyond the crush and frenzy of its major religious sites, many of its quarters are little known to visitors, its people ignored and their stories untold. Nine Quarters of Jerusalem lets the communities of the Old City speak for themselves. Ranging from ancient past to political present, it evokes the city's depth and cultural diversity.

Matthew Teller's highly original "biography" features the Old City's Palestinian and Jewish communities, but also spotlights its Indian and African populations, its Greek and Armenian and Syriac cultures, its downtrodden Dom Gypsy families, and its Sufi mystics. It discusses the sources of Jerusalem's holiness and the ideas--often startlingly secular--that have shaped lives within its walls. It is an evocation of place through story, led by the voices of Jerusalemites.

Author: Matthew Teller
ISBN-10: 1635423341
ISBN-13: 9781635423341
Publisher: Other Press (NY)
Language: English
Published: 09/27/2022
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.36lbs
Size: 9.16h x 6.33w x 1.24d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2022
Publishers Weekly 08/22/2022
Booklist 09/01/2022 pg. 24
Shelf Awareness 09/30/2022