Matthew Teller - Nine Quarters of Jerusalem: A New Biography of the Old City

[Teller] writes with affection and compassion for Jerusalems wide variety of peoples but a sharp-eyed lack of deference for a city whose past and present he explores with insight, sensitivity, and wry humora refreshing portrait of the Holy City that is vibrant and engaging.

Jonathan Dimbleby, author of Operation Barbarossa: The History of a Cataclysm

This book is so good. It peels away the layers of deception to debunk the myth that the Old City is composed of four distinct quartersa notion that continues to plague Jerusalem and underpins the assumption that the present-day conflict comes down to age-old hatred between religions. Teller celebrates the complexity of the city.

Raja Shehadeh, author of Palestinian Walks: Forays into a Vanishing Landscape

This must-read book lays bare the role of arrogant British colonialists and missionaries in shaping Jerusalems Old City according to their vision. It challenges the misleading maps that serve the Israeli narrative and encourages visitors to see beyond the facade.

Diana Darke, author of Stealing from the Saracens: How Islamic Architecture Shaped Europe

There has been no book like this written in the last twenty years. Matthew Teller has resurrected this city.

George Hintlian, author of History of the Armenians in the Holy Land

A lyrical and electric book, rich and intensely evocative (with a twist of cumin), as the author shares his lifelong obsession for one of the most over-documented and misunderstood cities on earth. This is not another biography but an altogether more important book, about the human tapestries that could, possibly, weave together a new Jerusalem.

Louisa Waugh, author of Meet Me in Gaza: Uncommon Stories of Life Inside the Strip

A marvel. Teller deftly braids the historical, the political, and the experiential to offer a multifaceted gem, brilliant and finely cut. Frequently philosophical, his work resonates beyond the physical boundaries of a city and its most apparent featuresoccupation and organized religion. This book is at once universal in scope and intimate, and it is as enjoyable as it is poignant.

Massoud Hayoun, author of When We Were Arabs: A Jewish Familys Forgotten History

For any other city, a book that tells the stories of its residents might be unremarkablebut for Jerusalem, so often weighed down by ancient history and the politics of occupation, Teller has produced a book that is borderline radical in its focus on the people who live there.

Zora ONeill, author of All Strangers Are Kin: Adventures in Arabic and the Arab World

A terrific book that holds to scholarly levels of research, critique, and questioning, but is also packed full of fresh, original insights.

Dr. Sarah Irving, editor-in-chief, Contemporary Levant

Teller presents a more complete picture of Jerusalem than any overview could providean essential addition to your travel reading, whether youve been to Jerusalem or not.

Pam Mandel, author of The Same River Twice: A Memoir of Dirtbag Backpackers, Bomb Shelters, and Bad Travel

A love letter to the people of the Old CityTellers book [is] a rare treasure.

Jerusalem Post

Teller excels in piecing together the old and the new, religion and politics, money and family, combining academic research with powerful human stories. In his colorful style, he brings the city and its occupants to life, taking readers on a breathtaking journeya remarkable book.

Arab News

An original and engaging take on the citypacked with fascinating material.

Tel Aviv Review of Books

This telling of history spotlights the characters, communities, and institutions that have given the Old City a heartbeat underneath all the grandeur and mythologyTellers stories are informed by dogged detective work.

Middle East Eye

Teller is a travel writer by background, and it shows in his descriptions of Jerusalemseemingly little things are what make this book stand out.

Asian Review of Books

Copyright Matthew Teller 2022

First published in Great Britain in 2022 by Profile Books, London

Production editor: Yvonne E. Crdenas

Text designer: Henry Iles

This book was set in Minion Pro.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from Other Press LLC, except in the case of brief quotations in reviews for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast. For information write to Other Press LLC, 267 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10016. Or visit our Web site: www.otherpress.com

The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:

Names: Teller, Matthew, author.

Title: Nine quarters of Jerusalem : a new biography of the Old City / Matthew Teller.

Description: New York : Other Press, [2022] | First published in Great Britain in 2022 by Profile Books. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2022018852 (print) | LCCN 2022018853 (ebook) | ISBN 9781635423341 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781635423358 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Religious communitiesJerusalem. | EthnologyJerusalem. | JerusalemDescription and travel.

Classification: LCC DS109.15 .T45 2022 (print) | LCC DS109.15 (ebook) | DDC 956.94/42dc23/eng/20220505

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022018852

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022018853

Ebook ISBN9781635423358

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To Q and to Doc, who, long ago, believed in me For my family