Abstract
This paper presents the results of a photographic survey of graffiti inscriptions on the walls of Greek Orthodox monasteries in the Old City of Jerusalem and its vicinity, dating from the Ottoman period. A unique methodology of multispectral and RTI imaging was applied to document the inscriptions, bringing to light evidence of the presence of Bulgarian pilgrims in these monasteries. Based on the corpus of inscriptions presented herein, previously documented contemporary graffiti in other Greek Orthodox compounds and historical sources, we were able to historically identify specific people and their places of origin, further allowing us to reconstruct the Bulgarian pilgrimage to Jerusalem over 500 years of Ottoman rule in Bulgaria.
Keywords
Jerusalem, pilgrimage, graffiti, multispectral imaging, RTI photography, Bulgaria, Ottoman period
Recommended Citation
Chernin, Michael and Halevi, Shai
(2024)
"Graffiti and Other Evidence of Bulgarian Pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the Ottoman Period: A Photographic Survey,"
'Atiqot: Vol. 116, Article 10.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040X.1131
Available at:
https://publications.iaa.org.il/atiqot/vol116/iss1/10
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