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Dome of the Rock (al-Haram
al-Sharif)
)Situated in the Old City's Muslim
Quarter, this mosque is the third holiest shrine to Muslims after the Kaaba
in Mecca and the Tomb of the Prophet in Medina, Saudi Arabia. It is also
theoldest and most exquisite Muslim shrine in the world. Built at the end
of the seventh century by the Ummayad Caliph, Abdulmalik Ben Marwan, the
mosque has a rectangular octagon exterior and a spectacular gold-covered
dome. The Dome of the Rock, with its colonnades and gardens, stretches
over one-fifth of the Old City, occupying a vast area of 140,900-sq. m. |
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Western Wall The Western Wall ( called in Islamic
tradition Hait el-Buraq) or the Wailing Wall, because Jews come here to
bemoan the destruction of their Temple. The area in front of
the Maqarebah quarter was demolished in 1967 and turned into a Synagogue. |
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The Citadel ( Tower Of David) The Tower of David is actually
the minaret of a mosque built in the Ottoman period encompassing
a couple of Towers, Walls, Ramps and Gardens by the Jaffa Gate entrance.
The site is worth taking time to
explore. It is said that Herod
built the tower and there are still the remains of three towers since
that time. The Mamluk rebuilt it in the 14th century, where King Bin-Qalawoon
added a mosque in 1310 and fortified it. Another minaret was added
to the mosque in 1531 by Sultan Suleiman the magnificent. Now the
Citadel has been changed into a museum .
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Mount of Olives 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 shrines than olive trees. Its
summit affords a magnificent view of the whole of Jerusalem with
the sealed Golden Gate of the Old City and in the other direction
of the Judean Desert, the Jordan Valley and the mountains of Moab. In the
old testament, the Mount of Olives is mentioned as a place where
Jesus used to walk over the hill from Bethany to Jerusalem. |
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Dolorosa The Via Dolorosa (Path of Sorrow)
is the route tradition says Jesus followed, from his condemnation
by the Romans to the spot where he was buried after the crucifixion.
The path begins near St Stephen’s Gate, in the Muslim Quarter, and
ends within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in the heart of the
Christian Quarter. The route is marked by the 14 Stations of the
cross. |
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The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Orthodox Christians as it preserves
the most holy memories about the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Six denominations are situated inside the Church (
Greek Orthodox, Catholics, Armenians, Copts, Ethiopians and
Syrians) and share control of the building. Emperor
Constantine and his mother Helena founded the church in 336.
Prayers are sent around the clock, so there are
habitations for the priests within the church.
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Church of Gethsemane (Church
of all Nations) Located on the Mt. of Olives, the
Church of the Gethsemane was originally built by the Byzantines in 379
over the place made holy by Jesus' prayer and agony.
The present church, considered one of the most beautiful in Jerusalem,
was built in 1919-1924. It was called the Church of all Nations considering
that sixteen nations contributed to its construction .
The Garden of Gethsemane lies at
the foot of the Mt. of Olives. Today it appears as it did 20 centuries
ago and within it are some of the world's oldest olive trees. The garden
was a spot favored by Jesus and it was here that He often came for His
retreats and prayer. It was also here that, on His last night, Jesus spent
the most sorrowful hour of His passion |
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Tomb of Virgin MaryThe Tomb lies at the bottom of
the Mount of Olives at the right of the path. This is considered to be
the site where The Virgin Mary was supposedly entombed. The church was
rebuilt in 1130 and since then it has been shared by the Greeks,
Armenians, Syrians, Copts and Muslims.
The present entrance and facade
is from the 12th century. one reaches after stairway of 40 steps. The tomb
is a chamber in the middle of the church, carved in the rock. The most
important feast celebrated in this church is the assumption of Mary
in the month of August. The site is venerated by Muslims since on
his night journey from Medina to Jerusalem, the prophet Mohammed is said
to have spotted a light over Mary's Tomb. |
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The Church of All Nations The Church of All Nations ( also
known as the Basilica of Agony) is so named because its construction in
1924 was financed by twelve different countries. The church is built over
2 others, the Egenia dating from around 380, and a crusader basilica of
around 1170. The Church is also notable for its Byzantine mosaic floor
and the striking mosaic arches above the entrance.
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*The Distant Mosque (Al-Aqsa)
Located next to the Dome of the Rock, this silver-domed
mosquealso ranks as the third holiest shrine to Muslims. Originally built
between 709-715 AD by Caliph Waleed Ben Abdul Malik, al-Aqsa was reconstructed
at least six times and very little of the original mosque remains in the
present structure. |
*The Garden Tomb
Located north of Damascus Gate (Old City), the
simplicity, beauty, and peaceful atmosphere of the Garden Tomb make it
a favorite spot for prayer and meditation. Many Christians
believe that the Garden Tomb is the site of Jesus' crucifixion and
burial and the presence of a nearby rock-hewn tomb, believed to be first
century, helped strengthen this belief. The Garden Tomb gives a clear
picture of what the place of crucifixion and burial must have looked
like at the time of Jesus. |
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*Bethany
*The Kidron Valley
The Kidron Valley separates the Mt. of Olives
from the City of Jerusalem. Jesus crossed the valley many times, including
on the evening of Holy Thursday when he went with his
disciples to Gethsemane.
The ancient tombs of Absalom, Jehoshaphat, St.
James, and St. Zacharias are located in the Kidron Valley. According to
local tradition, the Kidron will be the site of the
Last Judgement. This belief has made the Kidron Valley a huge necropolis
in which Christians, Muslims and Jews alike choose to
be buried.
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Gates
and Walls of the Old City
The magnificent walls of Jerusalem’s Old City
constitute a living example of Arab Islamic architecture. The walls surrounding
the old city were built by the Ottoman under the direct supervision of
Sultan Suleiman Al Qanouni in 1542. The walls stretch for twelve miles
over an area with a diameter of two miles and rise to a height of 40 feet.
They contain 43 surveillance towers and 11 gates,
seven of which are presently open.
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Damascus Gate (Bab al-Amud) This is the largest, most elaborate and most heavily defended of the
Old City’s seven gates. It is also the only one to have been excavated. |
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Golden Gate This gate has been sealed since the 1600’s and legend has it that the
Messiah will pass through this gate.
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Dung Gate (Bab Harat Al-Magharbeh) It is the only city gate that leads to the Jewish Quarter as well as
al-Haram al-Sharif. On the right just inside the gate, the Ophel Archaeological
Gardens capture the whole of Jerusalem’s turbulent
history in a confined area.
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New Gate ( Bab al-Jadid) Bab al-Jadid lies at the northwest corner of the old city. It was constructed
to create access between the Christian Quarter within the
city walls and the new Christian properties outside them. |
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Lions Gate (St. Stephen’s Gate) Lion's Gate marks the beginning of the Via Dolorosa and is on the eastern
side of the old city. |
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Jaffa Gate (Bab al-Khalil) Jaffa Gate is the main western entrance to the Old City. Bab
al-Khalil
is very much a tourist gate. The shops around the gate are purely for tourists.
On the right just inside the gate, is one of the city’s best known sites,
the Citadel or Tower of David. |
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Zion Gate This connects the Armenian Quarter with Mt. Zion, which lies outside
the walls and serves as a border between it and the Jewish Quarter. |
PALESTINE 
