Now in its sixth consecutive year, Jerusalem’s Sounds of the Old City festival was held from 12 to 15 March. This festival of international music is inspired by the Old City quarters, which are a focal point of Jerusalem’s culture and tourism.

The highlights of the fourday event included concerts, shows and special tours. It offered visitors an experience of the musical traditions found in the Old City of Jerusalem, where many ensembles played melodies both ancient and modern on a range of instruments, creating a collage of beautiful music.

The festival also strengthened the different quarters and religions through its focus on the uniqueness of each group and the connection between them all. The sounds were varied and rich, and connected to the stones, the alleyways and the people of Jerusalem. The musicians were spread out along a circular path, beginning by Jaffa Gate, moving through the Armenian Quarter, then the Jewish Quarter, then the Muslim Quarter and finishing in the Christian Quarter.