The most beautiful shrines and pilgrimage sites to visit Jérusalem

The Wailing Wall or Western Wall(HaKotel, "Western Wall" in Hebrew) is a sacred place for Jews all over the world (the most sacred site in Judaism being the Temple Mount where the Esplanade of the Mosques is located). At all hours of the day and often at night, the faithful come to meditate, like a large open-air synagogue, and deposit in the interstices small papers on which they have made wishes.
The

usual term "Wailing Wall" refers to the pilgrims who, during the Ottoman period, came there to mourn the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people. However, since the establishment of the State of Israel, the name "Western Wall" is more common.

Although the Western Wall is primarily known as a sacred site for Jews, it also has a notorious significance for Muslims, as it supports the esplanade on which the Dome of the Rock stands.

History

. Built about 2,000 years ago, this 80-metre-long section is in fact only part of the western wall of the Temple built by the ambitious King Herod the Great, whose total length was nearly 500 metres. It stood 60 m high, but the upper 20 m have been destroyed, and the lower 20 m are buried underground. The Kotel extends under arcades beneath the Muslim Quarter, and can be walked along in a 488m tunnel which was opened to the public in 1984 (guided tour by reservation only). This tunnel was discovered in the 19th century during excavations by British archaeologists.

The stones of the Western Wall are made of limestone, their edges cut to form a contour around each of them. This is the typical style used by King Herod, who ruled in the 1st century BC under Roman rule, and who built the wall in such a way that it supported the Temple Mount.

Celebrations and ceremonies

. You will certainly be struck by the religious fervour among the faithful, especially on Shabbat night. Bar mitzvahs are also held twice a week on Monday and Thursday mornings. Notice the women, who are not allowed to enter from the men's side, throwing candy to the young boy. The ceremonies follow one another at an incredible pace.

Security measures

. Soldiers at the entrances to the square check bags and, if necessary, will remind you of the instructions to be followed. The presence of tourists is tolerated, even in the space reserved for the prayer, provided that they are correctly dressed: a kippa is given to men at the entrance and small scarves are distributed to women. It is possible to take pictures.

A bridge that is a source of politico-religious controversy. Erected in 2004, after the collapse of a previous passage, the access ramp to the Mosque esplanade, which houses the third holy place of Islam, passes partly over the Wailing Wall, the main pilgrimage site of Judaism. The structure was deemed unstable by Israeli engineers and its closure in 2011 led to a wave of Palestinian protests. This wooden walkway allows non-Muslim visitors, as well as Israeli forces, to access the Esplanade of the Mosques (Muslim worshippers use other accesses). While you are there, take the opportunity to admire the beautiful view of the Wailing Wall.

The Temple Mount, a Jewish holy site, is located above the Wailing Wall. Its upper part houses the Esplanade of the Mosques, the third holiest place in Islam after the Great Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia. As a legacy of history, the esplanade remains under the custody of Jordan, but Israel controls access to it.

The Esplanade of the Mosques(al-Ḥaram aš-Šarīf in Arabic, meaning "Noble Sanctuary") is a huge paved and cypress-planted area, laid out as a holy place, with more than 140 areas set aside for the prayers of the faithful, but also for relaxation, where people come to have a picnic or to revise their exams. Surrounded by minarets, this open space occupies 1/6 of the old city of Jerusalem!

This religious site is very disputed. On Mount Moriah stood the First, then the Second Jewish Temple, and today it is one of the holiest places of the Muslim religion. Muslim tradition identifies Mount Moriah as the place where Mohammed ascended to the seven heavens to join Allah. Although the management of the Esplanade of the Mosques has been entrusted to the Waqf (the authority for Muslim holy places) in Jerusalem since the Six Day War in 1967, the site, like the rest of the Old City, remains under Israeli control.

The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra in Arabic), at the centre of the esplanade, was built in the 7th century and takes its name from the "rock" it shelters, an outcrop of Mount Moriah. According to Muslim tradition, it was from this rock that Mohammed left to join Allah. The rock tried to follow him and Mohammed pushed it away with his foot, leaving his mark on it. The dome was erected by the Caliph Abd al-Malik to counterbalance the influence of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, whose circular structure the dome replicates. Originally gilded, its dome was quickly hijacked by a caliph in debt. It was gilded again in 1994 by King Hussein of Jordan. The facades of the dome are covered with verses from the Qur'an in blue, white and yellow, making it a dream of the Arabian Nights. The interior, inaccessible to non-Muslims, is decorated with marble on the lower part and sumptuous mosaics on the upper part (while the exterior is decorated with ceramic painting).

Opposite it is the al-Aqsa Mosque. Nothing remains of the original mosque, which was built in the 8th century on the remains of an ancient Byzantine church and was destroyed twice (748 and 1033) by earthquakes. It was rebuilt before the Crusaders took it over in 1099 during the capture of Jerusalem. In 1119 it became the headquarters of the Temple Order, and again became a mosque after the Muslim reconquest in 1187. After the mosque was damaged again in 1928 and 1937 by further earthquakes, it was rebuilt in 1939, and today can accommodate 3,000 worshippers. The beautiful marble columns inside were donated by Mussolini.

Al-Kas Purifying Fountain. Between the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque you will see a beautifully decorated and preserved circular fountain, used in the past for ritual ablutions before prayer.

Security measures. The entrance to the Esplanade of the Mosques is highly secured. A word of advice: come dressed in long clothes.