Jerusalem

The trip from Damascus to Jerusalem was short and only took me a little less than a week. However, I had to travel with the largest group of merchants yet, because this was one of the most dangerous stretches on the Silk Road. The crusaders were constantly fighting their neighbors, and bandits were also common. Luckily, we didn't run into anything dangerous on our trip here.
Jerusalem was the most beautiful city I had ever been to, and as I walked in I saw the Tower of David looking over the city, full of European soldiers watching incoming merchants suspiciously. Being a Muslim, I also went to the Golden Mosque with many other merchants to worship; it was the spot where The Prophet (peace be upon Him) ascended to Heaven. I also saw the Western Wall, the holiest spot for Jews, and the tomb of the Virgin Mary, the holiest woman in both Islam and Christianity.

There was very very heavy security in the area, and there were guards everywhere dressed in red

and white tunics. Although Jerusalem now looked like its old self five years ago, last year, when the Europeans captured the city last year, the thousands of Muslims and Jews that used to live there in harmony with the Christians were banished or murdered, and all residents of the city were Christian. They made the merchants stay outside of the city, because no non-Christians were allowed to stay there. In Damascus, I met so

Life for women in Jerusalem was much different than anywhere that I had ever been before. Women were more free in many ways to roam around and have a large life outside of the home, but unlike the Seluk Sultanate or anywhere else I have been, women were completely denied any power in society, and acted as if their husbands were their lords.

Observing trade in Jerusalem was fascinating, and every day, many merchants and ships came from Egypt, Greece, Africa, Italy, and Western Europe, all delivering goods I had never seen before! I saw crates being imported that were full of jade, porcelain, glass, gold and silver, and ivory, while I got my first sight of ships full of silk, spices, bronze, and fur that all came from India, China, and the Middle East. It felt amazing to be in the city where the biggest exchanges in the Silk Road happened, and where all of the cultures of the world were exchanged.