{"id":66009,"date":"2018-12-26T17:05:58","date_gmt":"2018-12-26T15:05:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=66009"},"modified":"2018-12-20T10:31:33","modified_gmt":"2018-12-20T08:31:33","slug":"21-05-35","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=66009","title":{"rendered":"Indian Hospice: A hidden gem in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Israel21c\"<\/a>Indian Hospice: A hidden gem in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Abigail Klein Leichman<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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The Indian Hospice in the Old City of Jerusalem. Photo by Abigail Klein Leichman<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve visited the Old City of Jerusalem countless times over the years, but in that time I never heard of the Indian Hospice and never passed through Herod\u2019s Gate, an Old City entrance to the Muslim Quarter, where the hospice is located. In fact, the policeman I consulted for directions on my way had never heard of it either.<\/span><\/p>\n

But this serene cobblestoned oasis in the jam-packed Muslim Quarter is the only home 59-year-old Nazeer Hussain Ansari has ever known.<\/span><\/p>\n

For close to a century, the Ansari family has been the resident caretakers of the Indian Hospice, located just inside Herod\u2019s Gate, or in Hebrew, Sha\u2019ar Haprachim \u2013 Flowers Gate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandfather came from India back in 1924 and he was assigned as director and trustee of the Indian Hospice,\u201d Ansari told foreign journalists getting a rare tour of the property, which is owned by the Central Wakf Council of India and open only to people of Indian citizenship or heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe offer them food and a place to stay, like their home away from home,\u201d says Ansari, who is a citizen of India with permanent resident status in Jerusalem. The lodgings are free, but most guests leave a donation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Legend has it that around the year 1200, Sufi saint Baba Farid from India came to the Holy City of Jerusalem and meditated in a stone lodge for 40 days. Ever since, Indian Muslim pilgrims on their way to or from Mecca were attracted to the site and eventually it became the Indian Hospice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Historic family documents preserved in the library of the Indian Hospice in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem\u2019s Old City. Photo by Abigail Klein Leichman<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not a commercial hotel,\u201d says Ansari, who has four children all born locally. \u201cIt\u2019s for Indians looking for a quiet, humble place near the holy sites. They\u2019re not looking for a TV, swimming pool or spa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Guests to the hospice \u2013 yes, even diplomats and government officials \u2014 do their own cooking and laundry using supplies and equipment provided by the hostel. Ansari and his parents, wife and siblings handle everything else, from administrative duties to maintaining the six guest rooms and the small mosque, library, dining hall and kitchen.<\/span><\/p>\n

The guest room over the spot where Baba Farid lodged is still an attraction. The mystical Sufi sect of Islam \u2013 known for dance, music, storytelling, art and meditation \u2014 started in the eighth century in what is now the Israeli city of Ramla. Jerusalem was a hub of Sufism for many years, Ansari says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Indian Hospice caretaker Nazeer Hussain Ansari and his wife, Wafaa, outside the room under which a 13th century Sufi mystic meditated for 40 days. Photo by Abigail Klein Leichman<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The Indian Hospice has seen changes and additions over time. It was bombed four times in various wars, and sustained severe damage during the 1967 Six-Day War. Three of Ansari\u2019s close relatives perished when the property took a direct hit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom 1967 to 1991 this place was frozen,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen diplomatic relations were established between Israel and India, we reconnected with the Foreign Ministry in India and started rebuilding and renovating.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The street outside the Indian Hospice is named for the site in Hebrew and Arabic. Photo by Abigail Klein Leichman<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to cordial relations between India and Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan, Indian officials visiting the region have stayed here for the past 15 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not sleep at the Indian Hospice during his visit in July 2017, he mentioned the site in his speech to the local Indian community and invited members of the Ansari family to meet him.<\/span><\/p>\n

India is home to about 172 million Muslims, some 10 percent of the world\u2019s Muslim population. However, most visitors these days are Hindu, Sikh or Christian, says Ansari, who speaks Arabic, English, a little Hebrew and a smattering of Hindi.<\/span><\/p>\n

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