This location is an IsraelNation of the Jewish People Travel prime pick!
While charged with religious significance and visited by pilgrims, JerusalemThe capital of Israel has also been ravaged by warfare. Throughout the JerusalemThe capital of Israel's history, many empires have battled for it. Among them were the Hebrews, Persians, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Ayyubids, Mamluks, and the Turks. In order to promote their own identities, the conquerors claimed and rededicated or destroyed the structures of the previous city. Today, JerusalemThe capital of Israel contains the layers of its history of destruction and creation, strife, survival, and hope. The Old CityThe Holiest Center in the World covers 220 acres. The walls date to the Ottoman Sultan, Suleiman (1520-1566). Work began on them in 1537 and was not completed until 1541. The Old CityThe Holiest Center in the World has a total of 11 gates, but only 7 are open (JaffaAn ancient port city near Tel Aviv, Zion, Dung, Lions’, HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple’s, Damascus, and the New Gate). When the Messiah comes, he will enter through this gate. To prevent him from coming, the Muslims sealed the gate! You may notice the gates are angled so you can't enter directly into the city without making a 90-degree turn. This was to prevent enemies on horseback from charging full-speed, straight ahead through them, and to make it difficult to use a battering ram. You can see above some of the gates, such as Zion Gate, a hole through which boiling liquids could be poured. The main entrance is Jaffa GateOne of eight gates in Jerusalem's Old City walls, built by Suleiman in 1538. A road allows cars to enter the city here. It was originally built in 1898 when Kaiser Wilhelm II visited. The Turks opened it so he would not have to dismount. The Old CityThe Holiest Center in the World is divided into 4 “quarters” that are named according to those who live in them: Jewish, Christian, Armenian, Muslim. Just inside Jaffa GateOne of eight gates in Jerusalem's Old City walls is a small enclosure with two graves is hidden beneath the trees. These are believed to be the graves of the two architects whom Suleiman had rebuild the city walls. They were supposedly murdered either because the Sultan wanted to be sure they could never build anything more impressive for anyone else, or because he was angered by their failure to include Mount Zion within the walls! From the Jaffa GateOne of eight gates in Jerusalem's Old City walls side of the city, the most striking landmark is the Citadel, which is marked by David's Tower. The tall, square tower is 2,000 years old and was built by HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple. Inside the Citadel is a courtyard and museum. The Jewish Quarter, dates to 1400 CE. The oldest synagogues -the Elijah the Prophet and Yohanan Ben Zakkai - are roughly 400 years old. These synagogues are below Street level because at the time they were built Jews and Christians were prohibited from building anything higher than the Muslim structures. In the plaza, an arch stretches skyward where one of the walls of the Hurva SynagogueThe main synagogue in Jerusalem from the 16th to the 20th century once stood. Originally the Great Synagogue, the Hurva was built in the 16th century, but was destroyed by the Ottomans. The synagogue was rebuilt in the 1850's, but was damaged in the 1948 war and then destroyed by the Jordanians. Some consideration has been given to rebuilding the synagogue, but for now the arch remains as a memorial. Nearby is the Ramban, named for Rabbi Moshe Ben-Nahman, who helped rejuvenate the Jewish community. Just off the plaza is the CardoThe heart of Jerusalem's Old City Jewish quarter, which was a Byzantine road that ran through the heart of the city. Today, an area is preserved with some of the original columns. Just beyond the columns is a mall. The Jewish Quarter is located on the remains of the upper city from the Herodian period. The Wohl Archaeological Museum contains what are now the remains of residences where families belonging to the aristocracy and priesthood lived. Some archaeologists believe the palace of the Hasmoneans is among the ruins. Since the 2nd century, refuse has been hauled out of the city through Dung Gate, hence the name. Two gates lead into the Jewish Quarter. One, just outside the Western Wall, is Dung Gate. The other is Zion Gate. When Rome destroyed the 2nd Temple in 70 CE, only one outer wall remained standing. The Romans probably would have destroyed that wall also, but it must have seemed too insignificant to them; it was not even part of the Temple itself. For the Jews, however, this remnant of what was their most sacred building became the holiest spot in Jewish life. Throughout the centuries, Jews from throughout
the world traveled to Palestine, and immediately headed for the Western Wall to thank G-d. The prayers offered at the KotelHoliest place on Earth were so heartfelt that non-Jews began calling the site the "Wailing Wall." A large plaza offers access to the Wall. A fence divides the area near the Wall with a small area for women on one side and a larger area for men on the other. The largest stone in the wall is 45x15x15 ft. and weighs over one million pounds! The Wall is 65 ft. high. You'll notice scraps of paper in the Wall. These are messages and prayers. Entering a tunnel, one turns northwards into a medieval complex of subterranean vaulted spaces and a long corridor with rooms. Incorporated into this complex is a Roman structure of vaults. The complex ends at Wilson's Arch, named after the explorer who discovered it. Along the outer face of the Wall a long tunnel was dug. As work progressed under the buildings, the tunnel was reinforced with supports. A stretch of the Western Wall was revealed in pristine condition, exactly as constructed by HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple. In this confined space, you can walk on the original pavement from the 2nd Temple period. At the end of this tunnel, a 65 ft. long section of a paved road and an earlier, rock-cut Hasmonean aqueduct leading to the Mount were uncovered. A short tunnel leads outside to the Via Dolorosa. Around the corner from the Western Wall, below the southeastern corner of the Temple MountThe Location of the Temple at Jerusalem, is the Ophel Archeological Garden. This excavation reveals 2,500 years of JerusalemThe capital of Israel's history in 25 layers of ruins from the structures of successive rulers. The ancient staircase and the Hulda Gate, through which worshippers entered the 2nd Temple compound, and the remnants of a complex of royal palaces of the 7th century Muslim period are among the antiquities excavated. A path up from the Western Wall plaza leads to the Temple MountThe Location of the Temple at Jerusalem. Two shrines dominate this 40-acre plateau, the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aksa mosque. According to some old maps and traditions, this is the center of the earth. This is also the place where the Koran says Mohammed ascended to heaven. Under the rock is a chamber known as the Well of the Souls. This is where all the souls of the dead congregate. At the end of the Temple MountThe Location of the Temple at Jerusalem is the al-Aksa mosque. King Abdullah of Transjordan (Jordanian King Abdullah's great-grandfather) was killed there. The Temple MountThe Location of the Temple at Jerusalem also has a museum. Despite the name, the Muslim Quarter is also the site of many important Christian sites, including the Church of St. Anne, the Convent of the Sisters of Zion, and the Ecce Homo Church. The Via Dolorosa begins there. Most Muslims who live inside the Old CityThe Holiest Center in the World have homes in the Muslim Quarter, but this is an area where Jews resided for decades. In recent years, some Jews have moved back to this part of the city. The path along the walls can be accessed from JaffaAn ancient port city near Tel Aviv, Damascus, Lion's and Zion Gates. Lions' Gate has near its crest four figures of lions. Sultan Suleiman placed the figures there because he believed that if he did not construct a wall around JerusalemThe capital of Israel lions would kill him! Christians call it St. Stephen's Gate because he is said to have been martyred nearby. The Israeli assault to recapture the Old CityThe Holiest Center in the World in ‘67 was made through this gate. It is also possible to see the cemetery of Dormition Abbey just beyond. This particular route is separated from the Jewish Quarter by a road inside the wall so that it is not possible to see much. Beyond the walls, however, it is possible to get a panoramic view of what the rest of the world calls the occupied territory. When you reach the far corner of the City, you can get a wonderful view of the Mount of Olivesbeautiful mountain ridge to the east of Jerusalem, Mount ScopusOffering beautiful vistas of Jerusalem and the Hebrew University.
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