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In pictures: Jerusalem's Old City turns white after rare snowfall

A girl plays by the Dome of the Rock on the compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary during a snowy morning in Jerusalem's Old City on Feb 18, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Ammar Awad)

18 Feb 2021 07:00PM

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JERUSALEM: Jerusalem woke up to the rare experience of seeing its holy sites covered in snow on Thursday (Feb 18), with the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall under a layer of white after an overnight snowstorm.

Before dawn, children were up hurling snowballs at each other outside the Old City gates, as the faithful trudged to sites holy to Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

The snowstorm began on Wednesday evening, leading the authorities to shut down public transportation and block the main road to Jerusalem.

But as it eased overnight, the municipality said it would resume services, and people even drove to see the spectacle.

"We came in from Tel Aviv to play in the snow," said Ben Miller. "It's a rare occasion that we get snow in Jerusalem. The last time, I think, was 2013."

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Snow in Jerusalem — An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man walks into Jerusalem's Old City via Damascus Gate during a snowy day on Feb 18, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Ammar Awad)

Israel Palestinians Weather — Snow covers the Dome of the Rock in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem on Thursday, Feb 18, 2021. (Photo: AP/Oded Balilty)

Virus Outbreak Israel Weather — People walk their dogs next to a snowman decorated with a face mask in a snow-covered park in Jerusalem on Thursday, Feb 18, 2021. (Photo: AP/Oded Balilty)

Source: Reuters/kg