Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel and is considered a holy city in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.Over 3000 years of history can be found here including holy sites such as the‘Stations of the Cross’ – believed by Catholics and Orthodox to be the path taken by Jesus on his way to crucifixion, the Garden Tomb – where protestant sand Anglicans believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected, the famous Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa mosque where it is believed in Islam that the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven and the Western Wall – the last remnant of the Jewish Second Temple which once stood on the Temple Mount.
Today Jerusalem is a city of old and new and a mixture of religions, spirituality and history with modern day life and culture.
Jerusalem (Yerushalayim in Hebrew, Al-Quds in Arabic) is considered one of the most ancient cities in the world. The beauty of Jerusalem inspires millions of people around the world and has given her the well known title of the city of gold.
Located in the Judean Mountains, Jerusalem is known for its fresh mountain air. There are many faiths, opinions, religions, mysteries surrounding Jerusalem and different faiths must leran to coexist to share one holy city. It seems natural to shift between thousands of years within a few footsteps of the streets of Jerusalem.
The history of Jerusalem dates back 3,000 years, to when King David conquered Jerusalem and crowns her as his capital city. He built in Jerusalem his royal palace, which today can be seen in the City of David. According to tradition, King David dreamed of building a magnificent temple dedicated to God but ti was his son, King Solomon, who built the First Temple on Mount Moriah, known today as the Temple Mount. After King Solomon's death, Israel was divided and Jerusalem became the capital of Judah. It was ruled by many kings. In 586 BC, Jerusalem and the Holy Temple were completely destroyed by the Babylonians and Nebuchadnezzar. 50 years later, in 538 BC, Jews were allowed by Persian King Cyprus the Great to return to Jerusalem from their exile and build the temple. The Second Temple was built in 516 BC and stood for over 5 centuries until its destruction in 70 CE by the Roman Empire. By that time, Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jews were enslaved and sent to exile throughout the Roman Empire.
Through its long intensive history, Jerusalem has endured destruction, construction, attacks and besieges and has changed hands many times between kings, governors and different rulers. As a holy city for Jews, Christians and Muslims, Jerusalem has always been a place of pilgrimage and a source of war.
OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM
The Old city of Jerusalem is the pounding heart of Jerusalem both historically and spiritually. It is surrounded by walls that were built in 1538 by the Muslim Ottoman Empire Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Nowadays, the old city of Jerusalem is culturally divided into four Quarters: the Jewish Quarter (the center of Jewish life in the old city), the Armenian Quarter, the Christian Quarter and the largest of them all – The Muslim Quarter.
RELIGION in JERUSALEM - HOLY CITY in ISLAM, JUDAISM & CHRISTIANITY
Despite the small size of the Old City of Jerusalem, the amount of important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem is incredible. Some of them include: The Western wall and Temple Mount for Jews; The Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Catholic and Orthodox Christians and the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims.
The Temple Mount in the old city of Jerusalem carries immense and dual significance for both Jews and Muslims. For Jews, it is the location where the two ancient Jewish temples were situated and therefore is considered the holiest site to Judaism. For Muslims, it is identified as the place where Prophet Muhammad ascended to the sky on his night journey to heaven and therefore is considered the third holiest site to Islam. The conflict that is an integral part of the Temple Mount indicates the tension that envelopes Jerusalem.
For Christians, besides its appearance in the Old Testament, Jerusalem is regarded as highly sacred because of its presence in the life of Jesus. The church of the Holy Sepulchre which is situated in the old city of Jerusalem, where Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected is considered the most important church in the world. It has been known as the highest point of pilgrimage for 2000 years.
MODERN DAY JERUSALEM
Today, besides its great religious significance, Jerusalem displays a modern metropolitan city rich lifestyle including: many restaurants, great museums and art scene, annual culture events, coffee shops, impressive night life, shopping malls and etc. As the capital of the Israel state, the Israeli government, known in Hebrew as the Knesset, resides in Jerusalem as well as the Supreme Court and the houses of the President of Israel and the Israeli Prime Minister.
Jerusalem is described in the Talmud, the prime text of Judaism by the words: ''Ten measures of beauty descended to the world, nine were taken by Jerusalem''. For thousand of years, the beauty of Jerusalem inspires millions of people around the world and has given her its title of the city of gold.
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