Things to see and do 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 Holy Sepulchre, the main holy place of Christianity, is the centre of the Christian quarter. Since the 4th century, pilgrims have been praying in this church, built on the site of Calvary, exactly where Jesus "was nailed to the cross, died and rose again".

In the past, this location was outside the city walls and was used as a place for executions. It was calledGolgotha (from Aramaic Gulgoleth), which means "skull", on the one hand because its rounded shape resembled a skull, and on the other hand because legend has it that the place where Adam's skull was buried was located.

The construction of the first basilica of the Holy Sepulchre began in 326, on the orders of Emperor Constantine. It was built on the site of a 2nd century Roman temple and sanctuary which, according to local tradition, stood on the very place where Jesus was crucified and buried. When the Roman buildings were demolished, several tombs carved into the rock were discovered.

Not much remains today of the original Byzantine building, which was burned and looted by the Persians in 614, partially rebuilt, damaged by an earthquake in 808 and demolished again in 1009 on the orders of the Fatimid caliph el-Hakem. Some of it was rebuilt by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomask in 1048, but most of the present building is the result of reconstruction by the Crusaders in the 12th century and subsequent renovations. With its successive additions, crypts and floors, the church is a real labyrinth.

Immediately at the entrance, one cannot miss the pink limestone slab, illuminated by 8 suspended lamps symbolizing the different Christian denominations. This is the Stone of Unction where, according to the Greek Orthodox, the body of Christ was descended from the cross. According to Roman Catholics, this is where he was anointed before being placed in the tomb. Around the slab, we will notice the many pilgrims who kiss it or pour oil on the stone and moisten a cloth as a sign of devotion.

The Holy Sepulchre includes the last 5 stations of the Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa). As you enter the basilica, the staircase on your right will lead you to a chapel divided into 2 naves. The chapel on the left belongs to the Greek Orthodox, the one on the right to the Franciscans. At the entrance to the latter is the 10th station on the Via Dolorosa where Jesus was reportedly stripped of his clothes; you will notice the magnificent 17th century altar offered by the Medici family. Inside the same chapel you will see the 11th station, the place where Jesus would have been nailed to the Cross. The 12th station is located in the Greek Orthodox chapel and marks the death of Jesus on the Cross. Between stations XI and XII, there is station XIII where the body of Jesus was reportedly taken down from the cross and given to Mary.

Going down the stairs behind the Greek Orthodox chapel you will reach the ground floor. The earthquake that occurred at the time of Christ's death allegedly caused the crack, protected behind a window, that can be seen on the wall. Opposite you will also see a mosaic that allows you to follow, through the scenes represented, the path of Jesus' body, descended from the cross, perfumed with fragrant oils and placed in the tomb.

In the centre of the rotunda, under the dome, is the Holy Sepulchre, which preserves the tomb of Jesus. The aedicula is composed of 2 parts. The first is the Chapel of the Angel, in the centre of which is preserved a fragment of the rock on which the angel would have sat when the women went to the already empty tomb after Christ's resurrection. The second room is the actual burial chamber, which is also the last station of the Way of the Cross. Above the tomb, 43 silver lamps were hung: 13 belong to the Latins, 13 to the Greeks, 13 to the Armenians, while the Copts have only 4.

After a long phase of work, the new marble aedicula, rebuilt identically, was inaugurated in March 2017. This restoration allowed scientists to open for the first time in at least two centuries the place considered by Christians to be Jesus' tomb.

In front of the aedicula, you can see a church where a stone stands, considered as the navel of the world (Omphalos Mundi).

The Holy Sepulchre is divided among 6 Christian communities: Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Copts, Ethiopians, Syrians. Muslims, for whom Jesus is a prophet, are also represented.

A staircase leads to the lower part of the Holy Sepulchre - do not miss the moving stones engraved with crosses - and reach the Chapel of St Helena (12th century), which belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church. This ancient cistern, which dates back to Byzantine times, is believed to be the place where the cross of Christ was found. As you walk by, you will see a mosaic on the ground in honour of the victims of the Armenian genocide.

On the roof of the Holy Sepulchre is the Deir es-Sultan Monastery of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (accessible from the church to the right of the entrance). You will find a dome, located above the Armenian mosaic.

Know that the Holy Sepulchre attracts crowds of tourists, which makes it difficult to meditate...

To the east of the old town, the Mount of Olives (808 m) is a very important site for the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions. According to tradition, this mountain is associated with the end of time, which explains the presence of cemeteries on its slopes since ancient times. It is home to the oldest and largest Jewish cemetery in the world on its western side. The 150,000 tombs that cover this part of the mountain give it its white colour. According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah, who will bring the resurrection of the dead, will first pass through the Mount of Olives before entering Jerusalem.

Located at the foot of the mountain, the tomb of the Virgin Mary, is the first Christian site you will encounter from Derech Yerikho. The chapel was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century, on the site of an older building.

Next to it, and still at the level of Derech Yerikho, are successively the Garden of Gethsemane, or Garden of Olives, and the Basilica of the Agony. It was in the garden of Gethsemane that Jesus gathered the night before his arrest. Eight olive trees planted more than 2,000 years ago are carefully preserved. The Basilica of the Agony (Basilica Agoniae Domini), which dates from 1924, succeeded three other buildings. It reminds us of Jesus' prayer and his suffering to the point of blood. The name Church of All Nations also pays tribute to the many countries that financed its construction.

The start of the ascent to the top via the nearby street passes by the Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene with its golden domes, built in 1886 by Tsar Alexander III.

Immediately above it is the Dominus Flevit Chapel. Built in 1955, it is located where Jesus would have wept before entering Jerusalem, predicting its destruction; hence its name, which in Latin means "the Lord wept".

At the end of the street, before the flight of stairs that leads to the top of the mountain, you can visit the tombs of the prophets (Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi) in an underground cavity indicated on your right.

The Pater Noster Church or Eleona (from the Greek eliaon, meaning "olive grove") was built in 1106 by the Crusaders on the site where Jesus is said to have taught the prayer of the "Our Father" to his disciples. Together with the Church of Saint Anne, the Tomb of the Kings and the Benedictine Abbey of Abu Gosh, it is part of the four French territories of Jerusalem.

Continuing in the first part of the Arab village of at-Tur you will reach the church (now mosque) of Ascension. This building, originally built in Byzantine times, on the site where Jesus is said to have ascended to heaven, was rebuilt by the Crusaders in the 12th century. It was during the Ottoman period that the church was converted into the Ascension Mosque and a minaret was added. In the building, we can see a trace preserved on the ground; according to a legend, it is the imprint of a step that Jesus left before ascending to heaven.

Returning to the stairs that brought you to the top of the Mount of Olives and walking a hundred meters, you can admire the city from the viewpoint named after the Israeli minister Rehava'am Ze'evi who was assassinated in Jerusalem in 2001.

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.