A trip to Jerusalem has the distinct potential to be one of the most memorable vacations of your lifetime. Many people who go just once find that the city inexplicably yet powerfully draws them back. Jerusalem’s many holy landmarks and incredible religious sites make it an amazing place to visit.
Places to Visit in Jerusalem:
Although Jerusalem is a small city, and Israel is a small country as a whole, there are many places to visit. The great thing about the geographically compact size is that it makes everything you’ll want to see rather accessible. Many of the city’s holy sites are located within the Old City, an eclectic place that is divided into Armenian, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian quarters. Each quarter has its own unique culture, personality, and characteristics.
Temple Mount:
While in Jerusalem you’ll have the opportunity to visit Temple Mount, also called Mount Moriah, one of the most sacred places in both Judaism and Islam. It is a natural hill, but was also built up artificially to support the huge Jewish Temple that stood for a thousand years (literally!) in Biblical times.
For more information about Temple Mount please visit the official website here. It includes recent developments as well as the broad history of this amazing landmark: http://www.templemount.org/
Western Wall:
Since the destruction of the Jewish Temple on Mount Moriah by the Romans in AD 70, the Western Wall has been the holiest place of prayer for the Jewish people. It is located along one side of a large plaza at the bottom of Mount Moriah. Jews come from all over the world to pray, meditate, or just peacefully contemplate at the Western Wall, which in Hebrew is called HaKotel.
Some visitors place handwritten notes with hopes, dreams and messages of goodwill in the cracks of the Wall. The Wall may be visited 24 hours a day, and in the Orthodox tradition is divided into separate sections for men and women. For more information and photos of the Western Wall, please click here: http://www.inisrael.com/tour/jer/vt_western_wal.htm
The Tower of David (or Citadel):
This tall, slender stone tower served as part of Jerusalem’s defense structure for over 2,000 years. Now it is a well-known and admired landmark, and it also serves as the home of the Museum of the History of Jerusalem. Its tallest tower, the Phasael, offers a magnificent panoramic view of the Old City. To learn more, please visit the Tower of David website here: http://www.towerofdavid.org.il/
Yad Vashem:
This site is well known as the world’s most significant Holocaust memorial as well as a leader in Holocaust education, commemoration, research and documentation. Its name means “a hand and a name” and it implies that here every victim of the Holocaust is individually remembered.
The many indoor and outdoor exhibits include memorials, sculptures, museums, and a research and documentation center. The tree-lined “Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations” honors gentiles from all over the world who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
The “Hall of Remembrance” is a solemn tent-like structure that allows visitors to pay their respects to the dead. Among many other poignant and sobering sites, perhaps the most somber is the “Children’s Memorial,” where in a dark, underground chamber the names of the 1.5 million children who were killed during the Holocaust are continuously read aloud.
Admission to Yad Vashem is free. It should be noted, however, that children under the age of 10 (including infants) are not admitted. For more information, please visit the website here: http://www.yadvashem.org/
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