Amid CO.VID-19 Outbreak, Jerusalem Is Brought To Pilgrims In VR

As CO.VID-19 forces people to spend more time inside, Jerusalem has come up with a way to help people go on pilgrimages all while staying safe from the virus. And what they bet on is VR.

According to Eilat Lieber, director of Tower of David Museum, “Holy City” a stereo 360 VR movie will take visitors to the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

She also acknowledges that the movie could be enjoyed with a VR headset or on a flat-screen. While it could never be a suitable substitute for doing the pilgrimage in person, it still gives the idea of Jerusalem’s meaning to a large number of people all over the world.

The video has been made free starting April 9 until April 14 on the museum's website.

This initiative is part of 2-year cooperation between experts at the Tower of David, OccupiedVR, and Blimey, two Israeli-Canadian companies.

This project has significant meaning as this is the first time Jerusalem’s holiest sites are captured with stereo 360 VR filming and volumetric scanning. The interfaith team behind this video consists of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian innovators.

The Tower of David’s director said they were always looking for chances to further engage visitors. She pointed out that the team wanted to tell the story of Jerusalem to the world, not just Judaism-related things but also those involve Islam and Christianity.

The museum’s first initiative was a light show and millions of people have enjoyed it. Another project is a VR tour around the city incorporated into traditional tours and the idea is very popular among the younger generation. So technology might be the right direction for the museum to fulfill their ambitions.

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