For Muslims, the concept of paradise is not a theological abstraction, but a tangible reality that can already be experienced in the earthly realm. Nowhere is the permeability between the earthly and the heavenly more perceptible than in Jerusalem, in its traditions, architecture, sounds, and smells. From the smells and colours on the Haram al-Sharif, to Qur’anic inscriptions and sounds in the Old City to the divine light on Mamilla cemetery, this lecture will offer insights into Muslim passages to the gates of paradise.
Hannelies Koloska is a senior lecturer at the Department of Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University. She studied Arabic Studies and Protestant theology in Berlin and her research focuses mainly on the Qur’an and its exegesis, Muslim material, and visual culture.