Jerusalem
The most contested sacred city in human history and the only place on earth that is simultaneously the holiest city of Judaism, a primary holy city of Christianity, and the third holiest city of Islam — the Old City of Jerusalem (UNESCO WHS 1981) contains within 1 km² the Temple Mount (Judaism and Islam), the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Christianity), and the Western Wall (Judaism), making it the most concentrated nexus of human faith in the world.
At a glance
Jerusalem (the most precisely JerusalemOldCity single 1 km2 old city 4 quarters Muslim Armenian Christian Jewish 34000 inhabitants quarter breakdown Muslim 76 acres 22000 pop Christian 19 acres 5000 pop Armenian 14 acres 2500 pop Jewish 35 acres 4000 pop Temple Mount al-Haram al-Sharif 144000 m2 platform Herod the Great 20 BCE extended Mount Moriah 37 hectares 4500 Western Wall prayer plaza Dome Rock 691 CE Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik old stone octagonal building gold dome oldest surviving Islamic building world Al-Aqsa Mosque 705 CE Umayyad Caliph al-Walid largest mosque holiest after Mecca Medina Church Holy Sepulchre 335 CE Emperor Constantine original structure current mainly 11th 12th century CE Crusader rebuilt 1099 CE taken Crusaders 1187 CE Saladin tomb Jesus inside confessio crypt Edicule structure Golgotha Calvary hill execution Christian tradition 4 Gospels 33 CE crucifixion 3rd day resurrection inside Church Via Dolorosa 14 stations Way of Cross 600m route Old City Jerusalem Jesus procession cross Pontius Pilate Praetorium UNESCO heritage: the Temple Mount (the most contested real estate in the world: the platform on which the Temple Mount stands (Har HaBayit in Hebrew; al-Haram al-Sharif in Arabic) is the holiest site in Judaism (the site of the First Temple (Solomon; 957 BCE-586 BCE) and the Second Temple (Zerubabbel 516 BCE-70 CE; extended Herod 20 BCE-70 CE)) and the third holiest site in Islam (the Dome of the Rock stands over the Foundation Stone (the rock inside the dome), which in Islamic tradition is the spot from which Muhammad ascended to heaven during the Night Journey (Isra and Miraj)); Jewish law (halakha) prohibits Jews from entering the Temple Mount (for fear of unknowingly walking over the most sacred area, the Holy of Holies, where only the High Priest could enter once per year); in practice, some rabbinical authorities permit entry with ritual immersion; the status of the Temple Mount is one of the central political and religious disputes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict)) — the most precisely JerusalemOldCity single 1 km2 old city 4 quarters 34000 inhabitants Temple Mount 144000 m2 Herod 20 BCE 37 hectares Western Wall 4500 prayer plaza Dome Rock 691 CE Abd al-Malik oldest Islamic building gold dome Al-Aqsa 705 CE al-Walid largest mosque holiest after Mecca Medina Church Holy Sepulchre 335 CE Constantine 11th 12th century CE Crusader Via Dolorosa 14 stations 600m UNESCO heritage in any UNESCO world heritage site)).
Key facts
- The Edicule and the tomb of Jesus: the most precisely JerusalemOldCity single Church Holy Sepulchre Edicule structure over tomb Jesus Greek Anastasis Rotunda traditional site tomb empty tomb Sunday morning after crucifixion Friday 3 April 33 CE astronomical backward calculation Passover lunar calendar Wednesday or Friday 33 CE most scholars 14 April 33 CE or Friday April 3 33 CE Edicule current structure Turkish Ottoman governor 1808 CE fire destroyed Crusader Edicule Constantine original 335 CE Helena mother Constantine found tomb True Cross relic 326 CE Edicule rebuilt 2017 CE major restoration Aten-Vouras-Touliatos lab National Technical University Athens Marble exposed inside first time 1500 years outer pink marble inner white limestone bedrock tomb cut into natural limestone Golgotha hill UNESCO heritage — the most studied tomb in the world and the central object of Christian faith: the Edicule (the small structure (from Latin aedicula, “little building”) that encloses the tomb of Jesus inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre); the 2016-2017 CE restoration (by the National Technical University of Athens team under Antonia Moropoulou): for the first time since 1555 CE, the outer marble covering of the tomb was removed; beneath the outer layer, the researchers found a second grey marble slab dating to the Crusader period (12th century CE); beneath that, the original white limestone bench cut into the natural rock of Golgotha Hill (confirmed as 1st-century CE Jewish burial style); the Edicule contains: the Angel’s Stone (a fragment of the stone rolled away from the tomb’s entrance (Matthew 28:2)), on the right as you enter; the Tomb Chamber (a white limestone bench (approximately 2m × 60cm) cut into the rock of Golgotha; the tomb bench is where the body of Jesus lay)
- GPS: 31.7781° N, 35.2358° E
History
From Canaanite hill-town to capital of three religions (the most precisely JerusalemOldCity single 3500 BCE Canaanite settlement 1000 BCE King David conquered Jebusite city made capital united kingdom Israel 957 BCE Solomon First Temple Mount Moriah Ark of the Covenant Holy of Holies 586 BCE Nebuchadnezzar II Babylon destroyed First Temple exiled Israelites Babylonian captivity 539 BCE Cyrus the Great Persian liberated exiles return 516 BCE Second Temple Zerubabbel built Ezra Nehemiah 20 BCE Herod the Great massively expanded Second Temple platform 37 hectares largest sacred platform ancient world 70 CE Emperor Titus Romans destroyed Second Temple Siege Jerusalem Jewish rebellion 66 70 CE 97000 Jewish prisoners 1.1 million died siege famine disease 132 135 CE Bar Kokhba revolt Roman emperor Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem Aelia Capitolina Jupiter temple on Temple Mount banned Jews entry 335 CE Emperor Constantine built Church Holy Sepulchre Helena mother found True Cross 326 CE 614 CE Persian Sassanid conquest 638 CE Arab Muslim conquest Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab entered city peacefully protected Christians Jews 691 CE Dome Rock Umayyad 1099 CE First Crusade Crusaders captured Jerusalem massacre Muslim Jewish populations 1187 CE Saladin retook Jerusalem peacefully allowed Christians stay 1517 CE Ottoman Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt Jerusalem walls current walls 1537 1541 CE 1947 CE UN Partition Plan 1948 CE Israeli War Independence Jordanian annexation East Jerusalem including Old City 1967 CE Six Day War Israel captured East Jerusalem Old City 1980 CE Jerusalem Basic Law Israel declared Jerusalem reunified capital 1981 CE UNESCO inscribed as Jordan nominated without consent Israel UNESCO heritage: the Umar Pact (638 CE): the most significant example of early Islamic tolerance in history: when the Arab Muslim army under Caliph Umar entered Jerusalem in 638 CE after the Byzantine surrender, the Christian Patriarch Sophronius personally handed the city to Umar; Umar signed the Covenant of Umar (the Pact of Umar), which guaranteed the life, property, and churches of the Christians of Jerusalem; Umar refused to pray inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre when invited, explaining: “If I pray here, the Muslims will take this as a precedent and convert it into a mosque.” Instead he prayed on the steps outside; a mosque was later built on that spot (the Mosque of Umar, opposite the Church entrance); this act is cited as a founding example of interreligious coexistence in Islamic jurisprudence)) — the most precisely JerusalemOldCity single 3500 BCE Canaanite 1000 BCE David conquered 957 BCE Solomon First Temple Ark Covenant Holy of Holies 586 BCE Nebuchadnezzar Babylon exile 516 BCE Second Temple Zerubabbel 20 BCE Herod enlarged 37 hectares largest ancient sacred platform 70 CE Titus destroyed 1.1 million dead 97000 prisoners 132 135 CE Hadrian Aelia Capitolina banned Jews 335 CE Constantine Church Holy Sepulchre Helena True Cross 638 CE Umar peacefully Christians Jews protected Umar Pact 691 CE Dome Rock 1099 CE Crusaders massacre 1187 CE Saladin peacefully 1537 1541 CE Suleiman walls 1967 CE Six Day War 1980 CE Jerusalem Basic Law 1981 CE UNESCO Jordan nominated UNESCO heritage in any UNESCO world heritage site)).
What you see
Temple Mount, Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Old City quarters (the most precisely JerusalemOldCity single old city walls Suleiman the Magnificent 1537 1541 CE 4.5 km 8 gates 4 quarters Muslim Quarter 76 acres Islamic architecture minarets Khan el-Zeit market Via Dolorosa 14 stations Christians Jewish Quarter Western Wall 4500 prayer plaza last vestige Second Temple retaining wall not actually Temple wall but retaining wall Herod platform Western Wall tunnels archaeological extension underground Hasmonean aqueduct Herod tunnels largest single cut stone 570 tonnes Third Course Stone Temple Mount platform 144000 m2 Dome Rock 691 CE octagonal building tile decorated blue Persian tiles 16th century CE Suleiman restored gold dome 80000 gold plated copper leaf 1962 CE Hussein Jordan paid 1993 CE refinished 42 kg gold Saudi Arabia funded Al-Aqsa Mosque 705 CE Caliph al-Walid currently 74 columns capacity 5000 worshippers Church Holy Sepulchre 6 Christian denominations simultaneously control separate sections Greek Orthodox Roman Catholic Armenian Coptic Ethiopian Syriac Edicule tomb Jesus 1808 CE rebuilt 2016 2017 CE restored 2m limestone bench exposed inside Tower of David Citadel Herod’s towers 37 BCE 4 BCE Mariamne Phasael Hippicus three towers only Phasael base survives David Tower misnomer Crusaders named it Jerusalem Tower Armenian Quarter smallest quietest quarter St James Cathedral 1120 CE Crusader built oldest surviving building UNESCO heritage: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre access (the essential practical information): the Church opens at 5 AM (5:30 AM in winter); the Edicule (the tomb) queue starts at 4 AM on busy days (Easter/Christmas: 5-7h queue); the best time to enter: weekday early morning (5-7 AM) with no queue, or late evening (5-7 PM) when the tourist crowds have gone; the six denominations have fixed liturgical schedules — the Greek Orthodox matins begin at 4 AM; the major festivals: Holy Fire ceremony (the Greek Orthodox Easter Saturday: the holiest day of the year; 10,000 pilgrims fill the compound; the Patriarch enters the Edicule and emerges with “holy fire”); the Armenian Easter Saturday procession; the daily Franciscan Roman Catholic processions at noon)) — the most precisely JerusalemOldCity single walls Suleiman 1537 1541 CE 4.5 km 8 gates 4 quarters Muslim 76 acres Jewish Quarter Western Wall 4500 prayer plaza tunnels 570 tonne stone Dome Rock 691 CE 144000 m2 platform octagonal blue Persian tiles 16th century CE gold dome 80000 copper leaf 1962 CE Hussein 1993 CE 42 kg gold Saudi Al-Aqsa 705 CE 5000 worshippers Church Holy Sepulchre 6 denominations Edicule 1808 CE 2016 2017 CE restored 2m limestone bench Tower David Herod 37 BCE Phasael base Armenian Quarter St James 1120 CE Crusader UNESCO heritage in any UNESCO world heritage site)).
Practical information
- Getting there: fly to Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV; Tel Aviv; connections from all major worldwide hubs; 52 km from Jerusalem); from TLV: the high-speed train to Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon station (32 min; ₪25/€6); the central bus station (€3-4 bus from various points); the car (Derech Hevron / Route 1; 55 min with normal traffic); entry to the Old City is free (the 8 gates are open 24h; the Jaffa Gate (the west entrance, most used by tourists) and the Damascus Gate (the north entrance, most used by Muslim residents)); the Temple Mount entry (free; open to non-Muslims Sun-Thu 7:30 AM-11 AM and 1:30 PM-2:30 PM; closed Fri-Sat and all Jewish and Muslim holidays; no prayer by non-Muslims permitted; dress code: shoulders and knees covered; avoid Jewish or Muslim holidays); the Western Wall entry (free; open 24h; dress code: head covering required (paper kippot/hats available at the entrance); the Edicule queue (free; early morning or late evening to avoid the queue)); the best time (March-April (spring) or October-November (autumn); avoid Passover and Easter peak (hundreds of thousands of pilgrims)); the security checkpoints (metal detectors at all Old City gates; bags are screened))
Getting there
Ben Gurion (TLV) → high-speed train 32 min → Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon → bus/taxi to Old City (10 min). Old City gates free, open 24h. Temple Mount: non-Muslim entry limited hours (closed Fri-Sat). Dress code everywhere: shoulders + knees covered. GPS: 31.7781, 35.2358.
Nearby
- Bethlehem — 10 km south (Palestinian Authority; the Church of the Nativity (UNESCO WHS 2012; the oldest continuously-operating Christian church in the world; built by Emperor Constantine 327 CE over the grotto identified as the birthplace of Jesus; the current structure is largely the 6th-century CE Justinian rebuild; the bronze Doors of Humility (the entrance was lowered to prevent horseback entry; visitors must bow to enter); the Grotto of the Nativity below the main church (the silver star marking the traditional birth spot)))
- Masada — 80 km southeast (UNESCO WHS 2001; the desert fortress of Herod the Great (37-31 BCE) on a 400m desert plateau above the Dead Sea; the site of the last stand of Jewish Sicarii rebels (73 CE) against the Roman siege — the collective suicide of 960 people rather than submission; the Snake Path (the 2h45m ascent on foot; or the cable car in 3 min); the Dead Sea (the lowest point on earth; 430m below sea level; the Masada-Dead Sea combined day trip from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv))
Sources
- Wikipedia, Jerusalem; Temple Mount; Church of the Holy Sepulchre; Dome of the Rock; Western Wall, accessed June 2026
- UNESCO, Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls, WHS reference 148, inscribed 1981 (Jordan nominated)
Find it on the map
See this place and what’s around it →📷 Diventa un fotografo di Cultural Heritage Online
Condividi le tue foto dei luoghi: restano pubblicate con la tua firma come autore. Più vengono viste, più ti fai conoscere — e presto un concorso premierà le foto più apprezzate.
Accedi o registrati gratis per aggiungere una foto