Palestinian feast for all the senses
Visitors can experience the sights, smells and sounds of Jerusalem at the Palestinian pavilion.
Augmented reality goggles and scent-releasing urns evoke the atmosphere of the city, while an immersive visual experience mimics a traditional Palestinian feast.
Narrow alleyways and decorative arches and screens recreate the feel of the Old City of Jerusalem, the effect completed with stone slabs imported from the city.
Illuminated pictures show the busy bazaars where Palestinian traders make a living and many bakeries sell the popular local bread.
A guide said visitors would be transported to a regular Jerusalem street scene.
“It’s normal when you’re walking there to see a synagogue or church or a mosque,
because the three religions are constantly present,” she said.
“The streets are very narrow and that’s because they’re very old and very historic streets.
“These streets saw the Prophet Jesus and the Prophet Mohammed walking there, and many other scenes.”
Next, an atmospheric elevator ride simulates rising high above the bustling streets of Jerusalem. Once on the “rooftop”, a video shows Palestinian culture and creativity, textile weaving and basketwork.
Visitors can touch items that evoke Palestine’s exports, such as salt from the Dead Sea, before moving into a space devoted to sight and smell.
Specially designed urns release the scent of flowers and fruit grown in Palestine, such as roses and oranges, while donning the goggles provides a tour of the Old City.
An immersive visual experience illustrates a traditional feast, whetting the appetite of the visitor, before they conveniently discover the restaurant Mama’esh on the way out of the pavilion.
It serves traditional Palestinian food, and already has six branches open in Dubai.
Traditional flatbread baked in a wood-fired stone oven will complete the sensory journey with a taste of Jerusalem.