Jerusalem (Al-Quds)
Jerusalem (Al-Quds) has a documented history of over 3,000 years. Its Old City — a 0.9-square-kilometre walled enclosure inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981 — contains more than 220 historic monuments sacred to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Ottoman walls, raised by Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century, enclose four quarters: Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Armenian. The site has been on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger since 1982.
On the Temple Mount (Al-Haram al-Sharif) stands the octagonal Dome of the Rock, completed 691 CE — the oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture. The adjacent Al-Aqsa Mosque is among Islam's most revered places of worship. Below, the Western Wall is the holiest site permitting Jewish prayer. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, consecrated in 335 CE, marks the traditional sites of Golgotha and the Resurrection. The Via Dolorosa traces 14 Stations of the Cross over 600 metres through the Old City to the church.
Jerusalem serves as the hub of any Holy Land itinerary. Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) suit exploration of the stone lanes. Day trips reach Bethlehem (10 km south), Jericho (35 km east) and the Dead Sea. Entry is through eight gates; the Jaffa Gate and Damascus Gate are the principal visitor access points.
Highlights
Attractions
Al-Masjid El-Aqsa is an Arabic name which means the Farthest Mosque. To understand its name, and its importance, it must be remembered that the roots of…
This admirable building blends the architectural features of the Crusader style with traits belonging to the Muslim tradition. The chapel rises on the…
The powerful and imposing fortifications of the Citadel, by the Jaffa Church of Dominus Flevit, which is called The Lord Wept, is a Franciscan church…
This church, erected during the first half of the twelfth century, blends admirably traditional Romanesque features and the architectural principles…
This church, pleasantly modern in appearance, was constructed in the thirties of last century for the Assumptionist Fathers. It is very probable that the…
Dominating the skyline of Jerusalem, a landmark without doubt, is the beautiful shrine of the Dome of the Rock. Built on a platform over the rock of Mt.…
The garden of Gethsemane is one of the sacred places dearest to Christian tradition. The fact that it is still rich today in olive trees hundreds of years…
The Mount of Olives rises some 100m to the east of the Old City across the Kidron Valley. Green, fertile and nowadays dotted with more churches and…
The powerful and imposing fortifications of the Citadel, by the Jaffa Gate entrance, are crowned by crenellated walls, towers, and the distinctive…
This tomb, probably from the Byzantine period, is situated outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, to the North of the Damascus Gate, and is…
Western Wall or the Wailing Wall (called in Islamic tradition Ha'et El-Buraq and by the Jews Hakotel Hama'aravi) is a focus of Judaism, a symbol of a…