When it comes to Christian sites around the world, none might be as important as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Located in the Christian Quarter, it was first consecrated in 335 AD and contains the land on which Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. If you follow the stations of the cross along the Via Dolorosa, you can also find the last four stations within the church.

In a city as densely populated as Jerusalem, it’s kind of hard to believe there could be any unused space left. However, the team behind the Sinsila Center realized there was actually a ton of empty space – on people’s rooftops. I met with architect and urban planner Hanan Amashesh atop the Jerusalem Central Library to learn more about how the Sinsila has utilized rooftop space and beekeeping to not only heal the city but empower whole communities.

I’ve been to my fair share of outdoor markets but Machane Yehuda Market might just be the biggest. As Tali Friedman, head of the market association, told me, there are over 3,000 different vendors selling everything from juice to homeware. It dates back to the Ottoman Empire and has become a real microcosm of Israeli society. No matter who you are, what you practice, or what economic class you’re in, you come to this market. Tali and I visited two vendors offering very different menus but with the same love for their city.

When you come to Jerusalem, you’ll immediately notice intricately designed tiles everywhere from the Dome of the Rock to the very street signs embedded on every corner wall. This is thanks to a century’s old tradition of Armenian ceramics in the city. Back in 1919 three families were hired by the British to re-tile the Dome of the Rock, and the Karakashian family was one of them. I had a chance to meet Hagop Karakashian, a 3rd generation ceramicist whose own father made the street signs you see. In his workshop, he showed me all the handiwork that goes into creating these one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

Did you know winemaking near Jerusalem goes back thousands of years? Long ago Israel was located on a wine trading route between Mesopotamia and Egypt, and while winemaking has come and gone through the centuries, today Israeli wine is considered some of the best. Modern winemaking was brought back thanks to one man, Eli Ben Zaken. He got his start when, on a whim one day, he planted some vines next to his house. Fast forward just a few years and Domaine du Castel has become a world class winery and is often credited with putting Israeli wine on the map.