ABSTRACT
Bottlenecks are common features of people’s movement through urban space, and in most cases, squeezing through them is symbolically mundane. But on pilgrimage, people immerse themselves in stories – physically and discursively – as they approach their sacred destination. What happens, therefore, when people squeeze through bottlenecks on pilgrimage? In this chapter, I observe that the bottleneck passage reflects a constellation of interactions among the physical spaces, the meaning pilgrims attribute to their journeys, their ease of passage through the tight spaces, and their perceptions of those who manage the bottleneck flow. The issue of bottleneck management is particularly relevant in conflicted religious spaces: people’s sacred experiences are fused to the perceived legitimacy – or illegitimacy – of those who manage the flow. I define this constellation of dynamics as the bottleneck-optic.
I develop the bottleneck-optic through analysis of Muslim pilgrimage to al-Aqsa Mosque on Ramadan Fridays. While pilgrims come from various places, I focus attention on pilgrims from the West Bank and discuss three separate bottlenecks they encounter along the way: Qalandia Checkpoint, the Damascus Gate, and the Lion’s Gate. I conclude by discussing the relevance of the bottleneck-optic for other sites of urban religious conflict. This chapter is based on ethnographic research conducted in Jerusalem between 2011 and 2016 and draws from insights in the fields of urban studies, sacred sites, pilgrimage, and bottlenecks.
