The Road to Damascus (for St Paul, for the lucrative caravan-trade, for Romans and pilgrims) began here at the Damascus Gate, Jerusalem. Cities like Damascus and Antioch were cosmopolitan trade centers which linked -- and profitted from -- the movement of wealth, expensive products and all kinds of people.

As the study of World History suggests, we have before us the crossroads of the Globe, if there ever was one in Classical and Medieval times. It was also the crossroad of the Three Monothestic World Religions as well. Given the prominence of the Middle East in the news on a daily basis, it might still be the crossroads of earth. (Photo by M.Markowski, 1987)