Al-Ahram Weekly - Substitute for Jerusalem Al-Ahram Weekly Online
22 - 28 November 2001 Issue No.561

Substitute for Jerusalem

In these uncertain times when fewer pilgrims are travelling to the Holy Land, Spain is actively promoting religious tourism. Jill Kamil observes the swing of the pendulum over the millennia.

Thousands of European pilgrims travel through France to northern Spain, and then east to Santiago de Compostela on the Atlantic coast. The aim of the journey: to pay homage to Spain's patron saint, who goes by many names: Santiago, Diego and Iago among them. To rank as a "pilgrim" you have to travel on foot, horseback or bicycle. Any other form of transport and you're just a plain tourist. However, judging by the numbers of back-packers along the Camino de Santiago ("the Way to Santiago") last summer, religious tourism in Europe is in business.

When travelling to a new destination, one generally collects brochures and travel guides and does one's preparatory homework. Strangely, no matter how well prepared, what you actually see inevitably arouses further interest, a need to know more, or a desire to understand better what you have seen. This was how it was with our journey through the Pyrenees last summer. Santiago wasn't on our itinerary, but since one can hardly visit northern Spain without at least passing through that most famous of cities, we decided on a major detour for a short stopover.

The city of Santiago laid claim, in the 12th century, to being "the original tourist destination" in Europe. Our visit was well worth the effort. The great cathedral is magnificent. Its Gothic- vaulted cloister is big enough, so they say, to house a football field, although I would rather the guidebook had compared it with, say, the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak or Saint Peter's cathedral in Rome for a better concept of space. It was impressive, to be sure. The Sala Capitular, which contains the Cathedral's impressive collection of tapestries, including 17th- century Flemish scenes of Hannibal crossing the Alps with his elephants, also proved rewarding. We lingered but a short time in Santiago. It was only after we left, when I realised how much of our journey eastward lay along the Camino de Santiago and I saw countless backpackers and cyclists with bronze arms and bulging calves, that my further curiosity was aroused. There was plenty on which to ponder. How did this illustrious saint become so popular? If, as we were told, he was one of Jesus' disciples, how did he end up in Spain? Is the country benefiting today from the drop in tourism in the Holy Land resulting from the current uncertain conditions in Palestine? Santiago was a soldier saint honoured in Spain for defeating the "infidels" -- that much is clear from icons. The brochure on Santiago made clear that he was known also as James, Jaime or Jacobus. As we travelled through the high mountains, it occurred to me that I had no idea of how James the fisherman, a minor saint in the East who, according to the Bible, was one the first disciples chosen by Jesus Christ, ended up being so popular in the West. Indeed, how did his holy relics get to Spain?

Not until my return to Cairo, when I passed the Citadel of Salaheddin on the way to Maadi, did the thought of the Crusaders and the soldier-saint Diego come to mind once more. I looked into the legend at the first opportunity. I discovered that as Saint Mark brought the Gospel to Egypt, and Saint Peter to Rome, James had carried the Christian message as far as Spain. Afterwards he returned to Palestine where he was martyred -- reputedly beheaded by Herod in the year 44. His headless body was thrown to the dogs, but two faithful followers recovered it and sailed with it for distant Hispania, where the holy relics were buried in the cemetery of Compostela.

Centuries passed. Christianity spread in Spain, but no further thought was given to the saint's relics, nor was the site of his grave remembered. In fact, it was not until France was about to lead a Crusade against the Moors in the ninth century that his cult was revived. According to the myth, shooting stars guided a shepherd to the very place where he had been buried. The relics were excavated and authenticated by the local bishop in 814. Thanks to the "intervention" of this soldier- saint on a white horse, "Santiago" became a battle-cry, and a successful Crusade was launched against the Moors in 844.

Like the ancient Pharaohs who honoured the war-god Montu for their successful wars in western Asia in the second millennium BC, Santiago was honoured for ensuring the military success against Spain's infidels. More water flowed under the bridge. Christianity was firmly established in Spain, but Santiago, while honoured locally, had little international appeal. This was not to come until the 11th century, when the pope appealed to all Christendom to deliver Jerusalem from the Turks, and the first of the great wars known as the Crusades was launched. In 1187 Salaheddin Al-Ayyoubi, popularly known as Saladin, recovered Jerusalem, the Europeans (known as the Franks) were driven out of the Levant, and -- with Jerusalem under Islamic rule -- it was timely to resuscitate the cult of Santiago in Europe. In 1189, Pope Alexander III declared Santiago de Compostela a holy city, on equal footing with Jerusalem.

Religious tourism in Europe was launched. Sites along the Camino de Santiago, "the Way to Santiago," became popular tourist destinations. Travel guides written from as early as the 12th century describe four main roads leading from France through northern Spain to the holy city. The best lodgings en route were described in detail, even with some warnings to travellers, such as not to drink the water. Active and successful French promotion resulted in an estimated half a million people -- out of a total European population then estimated at 60 million -- making the annual pilgrimage to Santiago. To keep Spain's holy city in the picture required sustained effort. In the 13th century Fernando III brought back Santiago's bells from the Middle East, and their installation was an occasion of great pomp and ceremony. Spain suffered more political upheaval. In the 16th century, it was threatened by Protestants along the coast. Monasteries and churches were closed. Some eventually fell into ruin, others were converted into stables or storehouses.   Santiago's sacred relics, hidden for safety, were forgotten -- even knowledge of their location was lost. Modern tourism was launched with Thomas Cook's biblical package tours in the late 19th century. Suddenly it was possible, indeed, easy and pleasant, to travel to the Holy Land. Santiago de Compostela, at a single stroke, lost its reputation as a prime religious destination and Spanish tourism fell to an all-time low. Something had to be done. It was time to resuscitate the cult of the polyonymous saint: Santiago-cum- Iago-cum-Diego-cum-Jaime-cum-James-cum-Jacobus.

In 1879, by divine providence, workmen restoring the cathedral at Santiago came across the holy relics, which had been safely hidden for more than two centuries. The saint's bones were carefully extracted from the soil and, with appropriate ceremony, duly authenticated. Tourism was revived. Destinations along the "Way to Santiago" were developed, inexpensive hostels built, roads and paths laid out. And now, in today's uncertain conditions in the Levant, Spain is taking full advantage of the pilgrims' eternal quest for the saintly, and with backing at the highest level. In 1982, John Paul II became the first pope ever to visit Santiago; he blessed the great cathedral within which lie the saintly relics of the soldier-saint, disciple of Jesus.

In 1985, UNESCO announced its funding towards the restoration of many of the Romanesque churches which punctuate the trail. The route to Santiago de Compostela is reclaiming its reputation as the foremost cultural route in Europe.