S N O R R E    L I N D Q U I S T        I R A K    P A L E S T I N A    E T C

Alexis Pontvik pointing to the remains of an ancient aqueduct at Bethlehem.

Sten Lööf and Alexis Pontvik in discussion at the marketplace in Bethlehem.

Sketched perspective of the culture building from in front of the Nativity Church towards the Omar Mosque. The Pavilion/cafeteria which was deleted from the program can be seen to the left of the mosque in the background.

The six wells which became six boulders with trickling water.

The new stone pattern.

Muslims in prayer in front of Omar Mosque. They are now so numerous that they can not fit inside the mosque.

Manger Square when it was a noisy bus plaza.

The marketplace before the conversion.

The asphalt in the alleys is broken up for the new paving.

The sketched perspective of the competition proposal shows a makeshift in front of the police station in the form of market stalls with overhead grandstands. Lateral screens are rolled up at the Millennium Celebration processions.

Palestinian land losses from 1946 to 2000, Four maps. 1) Situation before 1947. 2) The UN partition plan. 3) The years from 1949 - 1967. 4) Year 2000.

This olive grove outside Bethlehem is still left standing.

Shepherds driving their flocks of sheep are a common sight in the city. Bethlehem's skyline in the background.

Bethlehem's old city. Historic buildings in black, the Nativity Church in red.

Bethlehem from the north according to a lithograph from the 1800s.

Manger Square with surroundings on an old postcard. The roof of the Nativity Church can be clearly spotted, and also the police station that was demolished. On the horizon you can see Herod's fortress stick up like a top.

Valley with "the shepherds' lands" and cultivation terraces with flowering almond trees and olive trees.

"The shepherds' lands" with the Separation Barrier.

The wooded height Jibril Abu Ghneim as I saw it the first time, about to come apart.

The same view today. The settlement Har Homa, only for Jews.

Peace Centres tower sticking up in the old buildings.

Herodes castle from the air.

South of Bethlehem. The ruins was towers from where one guarded the surrounding vineyards. The landscape dries out and dies.

Market life.

Selling herbs on the market, many poor women's lot.

Ones own stamps - Israel's only concession in the "peace negotiations".

The location in the cave where Jesus is believed to have been born is marked with a silver cross.

Emperor Constantine's church might have looked like in this "exploded view drawing", 300's.

Plan of the present Nativity Church built by the Emperor Justinian, 500's.

The Nativity Church, interior.

Section through the Emperor Justinian church.

The square in front of the Nativity Church's minimal entrance.

Muslims in prayer in front of Omar Mosque. They are now so numerous that they can not fit inside the mosque.

Sketched perspective of the culture building and the square in the direction of the Nativity Church.

The culture building today viewed from the same location as above.

Hassan Fathy.

The buildings Hassan Fathy designed for common people are in a state of disrepair after the Mubarak era. He also designed some beautiful palaces for rich people who appreciated his building, like this.

Plan of the Manger Square and the forecourt of the Nativity Church.

The culture building seen from the square.

The new stone pattern.

The culture building and the square, the Nativity Church in the background. Sketched perspective.

Wooden model of the square and the culture building, made by model carpenter Stig Viktorsson in Stockholm.

Park bench for the square designed by Stefan Malm, Nyréns.

The six stone boulders with seeping water under the trees of Manger Square.

Steel doors open towards the square. Photo by ML.

The entrance hall with stairs.

Tower Opening viewed from the entrance hall and staircase.

The large art gallery.

Auditorium.

Passage between the two Art Galleries with modern "mashrabiya" of wood. Photo by ML.

"Back side" of the culture building. Garage Entrance gate at the bottom, above a terrace for the administration premises.

Cross section.

Longitudinal section.

The bottom level with the garage.

The level under the plaza level contains administration offices, a small garage and toilets for visitors.

The plaza level. The left extension of the Entrance hall consists of a restaurant and to the right of tourist information and a bookstore. Inside the hall is the restaurant kitchen and rooms for children activities with separate entrances.

The top level with art galleries and to the left an auditorium. A small exhibition room towards the "back side" leads to a terrace from where there is a view to e.g. the hill Jibril Abu Ghneim.

Full-scale dummy of the lantern to be suspended above the entrance as a test. Jamal Araj (see paragraph 8) helps Erik Möller.

The first visit for the Swedish team. From the left Erik Möller, me, Karim Raileanou and our Palestinian architect Ramzi Kawar in front of blooming almond trees, with Jerusalem in the background.

Landscape architect Per Axelsson.

Michael Nasser, me and Ramzi Kawar on the site.

Bridge and tunnel to Jerusalem, which is reserved for Jews and above Gilo with their settlements.

A stonemason chiseling the stone surface.

Stones that will cover corners are sawn from a block with a rock saw.

Stonemason team.

Erik ponders Palestinian graffiti on the vault covered alleys of Nablus, nest for armed resistance.

The Forge in Bethlehem where the window sections were manufactured.

Esplanade in Tel Aviv.

Karim boards a questionable bus at Jerusalem's Palestinian bus station near the Damascus Gate.

The trip to the repair shop near Nazareth. Me, the garage owner, Ramzi and Michael. Beside me a stack of steel gates for the culture building.

Israeli girl soldiers on their way to the 50th anniversary of the conquest of Jerusalem.

Coffee break on the way to Amman. The author together with Palestinian cafe owner.

Study visit to the future administrative center of Amman.

Remains of the arcade around Jerash's oval forum.

Peaceful scenery that we passed near the border to the by Israel from Syria conquered Golan Heights. Jordan's only fresh water reservoirs can be glimpsed in the valley.

Erik tries the density of the chemical solution of the Dead Sea. It is much more concentrated because the Jordan River inflow declined dramatically - Israel takes most of it.

View from the Masada rock plateau. You can with a little effort discern the ramp that the Roman army built to reach the top.

Perspective from the competition proposal for a Supreme Court in Gaza.

The Israeli army goes to attack against those who have taken shelter in the Nativity Church. The picture is taken from the entrance. The culture building is seen in the background.

The Stone Mound in the picture had been a three hundred year old manufacturing plant for the manufacturing of the famous olive soaps of Nablus. But now hit by grenades. Israel clearly intends to lay the Palestinian heritage into gravel. The Army camp looming forward on the height.

The arch covered streets, hideout for the Palestinian armed resistance. The vault protects from discovery from the air. Killed insurgents are honored with "martyr" pictures on the walls posters.

Hebron's city center is off limits for "unauthorized". With the advice from the Jerusalem-Palestinian taxi driver we managed to get over the blockage unseen on foot. The pile on the street is placed there by the Israelis to cut off Palestinian traffic to the surrounding road network, which is exclusively for Jews and Jerusalem-registered cars.

Joanna Heilig and Johan MÃ¥rtelius in conversation with the head of Riwaq Dr. Nazmi Al Jubeh.

Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem, mentioned in the Bible, was for centuries revered in perfect harmony by both Christians, Muslims and Jews. The tomb was annexed by Israel immediately after the Oslo accords in defiance of the agreement, which aroused the outraged protests from the Palestinians. A wall was built against Hebron Road as protection for the alleged exclusive Jewish ownership, with an armed watchtower. A settler family visits the grave to perform their religious duty to mark its Jewishness.

This photo, taken by AP photographer Laurent Rebours, has become a symbol of the Palestinian resistance. The boy, whose name was Faris`Odah, was murdered by an Israeli sniper a few days after the picture was taken. This happened in Gaza, but it could just as well have happened on Hebron Road in Bethlehem.

Armed Palestinian outpost on Hebron Road near Rachel's Tomb. This view was something new. Whose security are they protecting?

What does the future hold? The separation barrier at Beit Sahour, east of Bethlehem, brusquely sears the sacred landscape.

Canada Park.

Model of the new square.

Mashrabiyah of stone.