It is almost the only city left with its ancient walls all standing, with its ancient streets intact.

At that time, in 1920, there was nothing whatever new to mar the setting.
No new buildings.

The city was only cleaner than it was under the Turks.
Parts of the narrow thoroughfares are roofed over with vaulted arches.

The domed roofs rise in unplanned, beautiful disorder against a sky luminous with jewels.

To right and left you can look through key-hole arches down shadowy, narrow ways to carved doors through which Knights Templar used to swagger with gold spurs, and that Saladin's men appropriated after them.
Yellow lamplight, shining from small windows set deep in the massive walls, casts an occasional band of pure gold across the storied gloom.