HaMasrek: Tomb of Muhammad's not-barber Traditional Cache
HaMasrek: Tomb of Muhammad's not-barber
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The cache is hidden behind the tomb of Sheikh Ahmed el-Adjami. According to common lore, el-Adjami was Muhammad's barber. This is in fact not true*. But nevertheless it's an impressive location in a beautiful park. Unfortunately, the tomb building collapsed several years ago, and is now closed off. You do NOT have to enter the tomb building to get to the cache.
The HaMasrek Nature Reserve (המסרק ; sometimes written HaMasreq), was named by Palmah fighters during the War of Independence for the distinctive pine trees that looked to them, at the time, like the teeth of a comb (in Hebrew: "masrek'). Many of the ancient trees of the reserve were burnt down during a major forest fire in 2001, but with the help of the Jewish National Fund, it has since recovered well, and is now once again a beautiful gem within the Jerusalem Hills. The best way to reach the reserve is to drive to the park entrance on Road 3955, about 5 km from the Shoresh exit on Highway 1.
HaMasrek has several easy hiking trails, making it ideal for little kids. The trails that ascend the hill have stone steps carved into the hill at steep points, and there are places to sit on the side of the trail throughout. From the high point (630 meters above sea level) of the reserve you get a bird's-eye view of what the Palmah was up against at Sha'ar Hagai; it isn't clear when you drive it just how narrow the passageway into the hills is, and certainly it was even narrower back then before the highway expansions of 1948 and 1967. Among the sites at HaMasrek are a memorial to the fighters who built the Burma Road and pushed further on towards Jerusalem. It also has the largest remaining groves of Jerusalem pines, native to Israel, as well as other unique trees. And especially at the beginning of spring, you'll be able to enjoy there a wild riot of flowers of all different shapes, sizes and colors.
* שמואל ואזנה, "מסרק ללא ספר", טבע וארץ כז/ 5 (תשמ"ב) עמ' 8-9
Links for further info (in Hebrew):
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Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
N cynfgvp ghor, ng tebhaq yriry, haqre n gubea ohfu, arne gur onpx pbeare.