Both feet on the floor

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First-time visitors to St. James Cathedral had better read the rules before entering the church for vespers.

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 I have seen confused tourists get corrected by an attendant for breaking Rule 4c. . And once I tried to catch a picture of the priest hammering on the simandron when he suddenly turned around and said "No pictures." I instinctively put the camera in my pants pocket.

Click to read the Armenian Orthodox rules. Compare and contrast; how do the recently-posted Catholic monastery's rules differ? :) Just kidding.

 

 Reflected in the glass for James' Weekend Reflections is the monastery with old khachkars in the wall.

 

 I really like St. James and whenever I am in the Old City I try to be in the Armenian Quarter and the church at 3:00 pm to hear their vespers.

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The call to prayer, on video!

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Turkey and Armenia have just signed historic accords aimed to end a century of hostility and mistrust between them.
I wish them luck. Today's post for That's My World Tuesday (Klaus' meme is one year old today!) is dedicated to the people living in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City.

If you remember an earlier post about the Armenian Orthodox St. James Cathedral, we said that many centuries ago the Ottoman Turks issued an edict forbidding the ringing of church bells in Jerusalem. As a legal loophole, a wooden board or an iron sheet called a simandron (or nakos, in Arabic) cleverly replaced bells to call the monks and the public to prayer.
Ottoman rule ended in 1917 and today Israel has freedom of religious expression. Many church bells ring in the Old City. But in memory of those centuries of Moslem prohibition of the bells, an Armenian monk emerges from the church every weekday and hammers on the simandron just before 3:00 pm vespers.



Try not to be distracted by the two women who cross the church courtyard on their way to buy candles to light during the service. Let's just say that it shows how well "hidden" I was beside a pillar while filming (which is forbidden).
What do you prefer? Did you enjoy the spirited hammering on the simandron, right next to you, or would you rather hear bells up in a tower?

(For more about Armenians in Jerusalem please click on my "Armenians" label below or in the margin.)
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(Linking to inSPIREd Sunday.)
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Armenian Orthodox

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The Old City of Jerusalem is less than one square kilometer. Inside its city wall are four quarters: the Moslem Quarter, the Jewish, the Christian, and the Armenian.
Today on our That's MyWorld Tuesday tour we visit the Armenians.


I love the rhythm of the call to prayer. It gets faster and faster, louder and louder! See the blur of the mallet and hand?
The device, called simandron or in Arabic nakos, is made of wooden boards and iron sheets suspended on chains.
A 14th century Ottoman edict forbade the ringing of church bells in Jerusalem. But there is always a way around laws in the Middle East. So these gong-like instruments replaced the bells to call the monks and the public to prayer.


Ottoman rule ended in 1917 and today Israel has freedom of religious expression.
Many church bells ring in the Old City. But in memory of those centuries of Moslem prohibition of the bells, an Armenian monk emerges from the church every day and hammers on the simandron just before 3:00 pm vespers.

St. James Cathedral is Armenian Orthodox.

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Aviva Bar-Am, in her Beyond the Walls: Churches of Jerusalem, hits the nail on the head (so to speak) with her description:

"A vast collection of paintings, ceramic tiles, and rich ornaments decorate the grandiose interior of St. James Cathedral. Lit only from light which enters through a few windows, the dome, some candles, and dozens of hanging oil-lamps, the church's interior is mystic and eastern. The scent of incense permeates the air, adding to its mysterious aura."
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And that is before you even hear the choir of men's voices in Byzantine chant!

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Whenever I have been at vespers on a weekday, only a handful of tourists or locals come in to sit on the bench that lines the side and back of the church. And most do not last for the entire liturgy.

Woe to you if you forget the rules and cross your legs. An Armenian will come over and remind you to keep both feet on the ground.

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But if you do sit respectfully and quietly, you may find yourself soaring .
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