holy place

Down the street and around the corner from some of the most famous holy sites in the world, a little abandoned village goes almost unnoticed. Lifta is a collection of forsaken stone buildings just off the edge of West Jerusalem, but it was once a thriving Palestinian settlement. This is a place that was affected by the Palestinian exodus of 1948, called the Nakba. Now walls that once sheltered families have crumbled, ceilings have caved in, and trash has littered the bushes and cracked floors. A rusty and broken truck stays parked in the tall grass, never to be driven again. With the bordering modern city and beautiful architecture such as the Chords Bridge clearly visible from the ruins, a stark difference between past and present can be felt. The houses of Lifta were deserted less than a hundred years ago, and now somehow walking among what’s left of them is like wandering through a dystopian, apocalyptic world.

The majority of the human race enjoys seeing magnificent animals, specifically elephants involved in careers including performing in the circus, being displayed in zoos, or traveling. But where do these creatures go when they progress in age or can no longer perform with the strength and endurance they once had?