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    Tourist Attractions in Jerusalem

    The most interesting and beautiful tourist attractions in Jerusalem. Photos and a brief description.

    Jerusalem
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    About Jerusalem

    Jerusalem, without exaggeration, can be called one of the most important cities on our planet. It is located at the junction of civilizations, cultures and religions. Jerusalem preserves the memories of the great kings of the ancient kingdom of Israel, the rulers of the Roman and Byzantine empires and the caliphs of the powerful Arab states. Jesus Christ and the Prophet Muhammad, the founders of future world religions, once roamed the streets of the Old City.

    A huge number of pilgrims, as well as secular tourists, visit Jerusalem every year to touch the Wailing Wall, pray in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and walk the way of Christ to Calvary. The historic heart of Jerusalem – the Old City is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The traditions of Byzantine, Arabic and Jewish architecture are intertwined in a bizarre mosaic here. Of no less interest are the new districts of the city, which began to form much later. A special place among them is occupied by Mea Shearim, where orthodox Jews still prefer to settle.

    * The list does not include areas of the city that can be seen as separate attractions in various sources: the Old City of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, Mount of Olives, the Jewish Quarter and others.

    Top Tourist Attractions in Jerusalem

    Church of the Holy Sepulchre

    According to the texts of Holy Scripture, the temple complex stands on the very place where Jesus was martyred, buried and resurrected. The first basilica appeared here in the III-IV centuries. The magnificent Romanesque building was erected by Europeans in the middle of the XII century. after the successes of the first Crusades. Today, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is an architectural complex that includes Golgotha, several cathedrals, churches, monasteries, an underground cathedral and chapels belonging to various branches of the Christian Church.

    Church of the Holy Sepulchre
    The Wailing Wall

    The Wailing Wall

    Part of the ancient wall of the VI century BC with a length of 485 meters (on the surface there is only 60 meters), which survived after the destruction of the Second Jerusalem Temple in the I century. This place is one of the main Jewish shrines. Jews all over the world consider it their duty to make a pilgrimage to the Wailing Wall, touch it with their hand, write a wish on a piece of paper and leave it in one of the cracks. Not only Jews are allowed to the Wall – any tourist can do the same.

    Tunnel of the Western Wall

    An underground passage through which you can walk along the entire preserved part of the Wailing Wall. The tunnels were discovered during the excavations of the XIX century. Today, this landmark is located on the territory of the Muslim quarter. As a result of archaeological research, experts found many ancient artifacts belonging to different historical periods in the dungeons. The passage was opened to the public in the 1990s.

    Tunnel of the Western Wall
    Yad Vashem

    Yad Vashem

    The 1953 memorial complex dedicated to the events of the Holocaust. It perpetuates the memory of the numerous victims who fell as a result of the persecution of the Jewish people during the Second World War. The complex includes several objects — the Hall of Memory, the Museum of the History of the Holocaust, the Partisan Panorama, the column of Heroism, the Children's Memorial, individual monuments and squares. The International Institute for Holocaust Studies operates on the territory of Yad Vashem.

    Via Dolorosa

    It is believed that the "Via Dolorosa" was the way of Jesus to the place of crucifixion. 9 of the 14 alleged stops of Christ during his death march to Golgotha are marked on the street. There are also several temples and a monastery located here. The name of the street translates as "mournful way". The total length of the route is 500 meters. It will take about an hour to pass through it, provided there is a delay at each stop.

    Via Dolorosa
    Street Jewish Cemetery on the Mount of Olives

    Street Jewish Cemetery on the Mount of Olives

    The oldest Jewish necropolis in the world, where there are graves and burial niches with the remains of the Old Testament prophets Malachi, Zechariah and Haggai. The first burials date back to the X century BC. The cemetery is considered holy. For many centuries, being buried within its borders was considered a great honor. According to the Jewish faith, at the end of time, the Messiah will ascend the Mount of Olives and begin to raise the dead.

    Garden Grave

    The Jewish cave burial, which is revered by some followers of the Protestant Church as the true grave and place of the resurrection of Christ (the so-called Protestant Calvary). However, research and a number of facts show that the ancient necropolis dates back to the IX-VII centuries BC. The grave is located in the Sheikh Jarah quarter near the Dominican monastery of Saint-Etienne.

    Garden Grave
    The Tomb of the Virgin

    The Tomb of the Virgin

    One of the Christian shrines of Jerusalem. According to the Scriptures, Jesus' mother Mary is buried in the grave. The tomb is located on the western slope of the Mount of Olives on the territory of the Kedron Valley repeatedly mentioned in the Bible. All Christian churches have access to the shrine, but it itself belongs to the Jerusalem Orthodox Church. In the IV century, with the assistance of Elena the Equal-to-the-Apostles, the first temple was erected over the tomb.

    Dome of the Rock Mosque

    The temple was erected in 687-691 a few decades after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. It is considered one of the first monuments of Islamic architecture. At that time there was no concept of "mosque", the building was built as a house for pilgrims. During the reign of the Crusaders over Jerusalem, the Kubbat al-Sakhra Masjid (the Arabic name of the temple) was turned into a church, but in 1187 it was again in the hands of Muslims.

    Dome of the Rock Mosque
    Al-Aqsa Mosque

    Al-Aqsa Mosque

    The temple of the beginning of the VIII century, which is considered the third shrine of Islam after the two mosques in Mecca and Medina. After the destruction of the building as a result of an earthquake in 1033, Caliph Ali az-Zihir built another temple, which still stands. The facade, walls and minarets of the mosque are made of limestone, the interior is decorated with marble mosaics. The building simultaneously accommodates up to 5 thousand people.

    St. Anne 's Basilica

    The basilica was erected on the site of the dwelling where Jesus' mother Mary was born. The temple is located on the territory of the old quarters, which are now occupied by the Muslim district. The Church of St. Anna was built during the reign of the Crusaders in the middle of the XII century. In 1192, after their departure from Jerusalem, the building was converted into a madrasah. In this capacity, the basilica existed until the middle of the XIX century. In 1856 it was given to the Christian community.

    St. Anne 's Basilica
    The Church of All Nations

    The Church of All Nations

    The Franciscan church within the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed the night before his arrest. The church was built in 1924 by architect A. Barluzzi. The money for the construction was allocated by representatives of the Catholic Church from 12 countries, thanks to which the temple received the name "Church of All Nations". The modern building was built on the foundation of the XII century, left over from the era of the Crusader Knights.

    Monastery of the Assumption of the Mother of God

    The Benedictine monastery on Mount Zion, created at the beginning of the XX century on the site where the house of John the Theologian was supposedly located. The monastery was built to replace the temple of the XII century, which was destroyed by the Muslims after the victory over the Crusaders. Even earlier, in the period of the V-IX centuries, there was an early Christian basilica of St. Zion. The architecture of the main monastery church combines elements of Arabic and Byzantine styles.

    Monastery of the Assumption of the Mother of God
    The Chamber of the Last Supper

    The Chamber of the Last Supper

    A room on the top floor of one of the city houses on Mount Zion, where the meal of Christ and his disciples, known as the Last Supper, took place. This room is considered to be the first Christian temple. In the era of the Crusader Knights, the entire building was converted into a church, which was decorated with marble columns and domes. Some of the decor elements belong to an even later era. The tomb of King David is located on the first floor of the Upper Room building.

    St. Peter's Church in Gallicantu

    The Catholic church of the first half of the XX century, erected on the supposed site of the abdication of the Apostle Peter. According to beliefs that arose in the Middle Ages, Peter mourned his unworthy act here. The church was built in the neo-Byzantine manner according to the project of the architect E. Bube. It was preceded by three temples, the last of which fell into disrepair and was destroyed at the end of the XIII century.

    St. Peter's Church in Gallicantu
    The Church of Our Father

    The Church of Our Father

    The temple is located on the slope of the Mount of Olives in the place where Christ pronounced the prayer "Our Father" before the apostles. In fact, this is an unsubstantiated assumption. It is not known whether Jesus read this particular prayer to his disciples, since different sources contain contradictory information. The architectural complex, which includes the Carmelite monastery, was built in the XIX-XX centuries. on the site of the basilica of the V century and the later church of the XII century.

    St. Mary Magdalene Church

    Russian Orthodox Church in the Gethsemane Valley. It was built in the XIX century on donations from the Russian imperial family in honor of Alexander II's wife Maria Alexandrovna. The church is a temple attached to a women's monastery. The relics of St. Nicholas are kept here. Varvara and Elizabeth and the miraculous icon "Odigitria". The building is built of Jerusalem stone in the architectural style characteristic of the Moscow school.

    St. Mary Magdalene Church
    Tower of David

    Tower of David

    An ancient fortress located at the entrance to the Old Town. The construction of the fortification dates back to the II century BC . It was built for defense purposes. Over the centuries, the structure was alternately rebuilt by Muslims and Christians. It is believed that in earlier centuries there was a palace of King David on the site of the citadel. Nowadays, a museum dedicated to the history of Jerusalem is located on the territory of the tower.

    Damascus Gate

    The ancient gate in the north-western part of the city, behind which the Arab quarter of Sheikh Jarah stretches. In past epochs, the way to Damascus began from here. The gates were first erected in the VI century BC. After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the II century, they were rebuilt. In X, the third building appeared, which was expanded and rebuilt in the XII-XIII centuries.

    Damascus Gate
    Knesset

    Knesset

    The Knesset is the Israeli parliament. The building for the meetings of this legislative body was erected in the 1960s. At that time, the state did not have the money to implement such a grandiose project. However, the Israelis were rescued by the British politician and philanthropist E. Rothschild, who donated a large sum for the construction. As a result, a grandiose structure was created in the Givat-Ram area according to the project of architect I. Klarveyn.

    Ben Yehuda Street

    One of the walking alleys of Jerusalem, named after E. Ben Yehuda, the creator of modern Hebrew. It is located in the modern part of the city. The street is built up with restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops and beauty shops selling products based on minerals of the Black Sea. Leisurely strolling tourists are often entertained by street musicians.

    Ben Yehuda Street
    Mahane Yehuda Market

    Mahane Yehuda Market

    The bazaar is located on the territory of the Mahane Yehuda quarter, which is often called by the simple word "Shuk" (translated from Hebrew – "market"). This place is popular with tourists and residents of the city. Previously, goods were sold here at fairly low prices, but due to the large influx of foreigners, merchants shifted to more expensive and exclusive products. Life "boils" in the market even at night, when bars with live music open.

    Israel Museum

    The main museum of the country, created with numerous private donations, as well as funds received from the US government in the 1950s. The museum complex was built according to the project of architects A. Mansfeld and D. Gad on Givat-Ram hill. The museum collection consists of almost 500 thousand copies related to the historical and cultural heritage of the Jewish people. The earliest exhibits are more than 9 thousand years old.

    Israel Museum
    Museum of Biblical Countries

    Museum of Biblical Countries

    The museum's collection is devoted to the history of the countries and peoples mentioned in the Jewish sacred texts, united in a multi-volume Tanakh (analogous to the Christian Bible). The exhibition consists of artifacts from Ancient Egypt, Sumer, Assyria, Rome, Persia, Mesopotamia and other Middle Eastern states. The museum was established in 1992. based on the private collection of E. Borovsky with the support of the Jerusalem City Hall.

    Bloomfield Science Museum

    A popular science center established in 1992. on the initiative of Professor P. Hillman. The collection consists of interactive exhibits and prototypes that visitors can experiment on. Each department of the museum is dedicated to one scientific branch. Films are shown in the local conference hall, from which you can learn a lot of useful information to broaden your horizons.

    Bloomfield Science Museum
    Mayer Museum of Islamic Art

    Mayer Museum of Islamic Art

    Housed in nine halls, the museum's exposition tells about the history of Islamic civilization, from its inception to the end of the XIX century. Separate sections are devoted to art, architecture, religion, worldview, writing and various crafts. There is also a unique collection of antique chronometers collected from all over Europe. The exhibition opened in 1974.

    Rockefeller Archaeological Museum

    The collection was previously known as the Archaeological Museum of Palestine, but was renamed in honor of D. D. Rockefeller Jr., who donated an impressive amount of money to create the museum. His collection covers a historical period of more than 2 million years. The museum building was built according to O. Harrison's project from white limestone in a mixed style of western and eastern architecture.

    Rockefeller Archaeological Museum
    The Cave of Zedekiah

    The Cave of Zedekiah

    In the X century BC, stone was mined in the cave of Zedekiah for the construction of the First Temple, so since ancient times the place has been known as the quarries of King Solomon. There are a huge number of passages, halls and corridors in the cave. Its depth is only 100 meters with a fairly impressive area of 9 thousand m2. The cave was discovered in the middle of the XIX century and quickly overgrown with mysterious legends. Since then, it has been occupied by either Masons or sectarians.

    Jerusalem Bible Zoo

    A themed zoo in the southwest of Jerusalem, where the animals mentioned in the Bible are kept. It occupies an area of 25 hectares and is located on two levels. The building of the zoo's information center is built in the form of Noah's Ark. Thematic lectures are constantly held here and temporary exhibitions are organized. In addition to a large number of representatives of fauna, the zoo boasts a considerable plant diversity.

    Jerusalem Bible Zoo
    Gethsemane Garden

    Gethsemane Garden

    The garden is located at the foot of the Mount of Olives on an area of 1200 m2. According to the Holy Scriptures, it was here that Jesus spent his last night before his execution. In the garden there are ancient olive trees that quite possibly remember Christ himself, since their age exceeds 2 thousand years. Today, Gethsemane Garden is a well–groomed and picturesque landscaped park with lawns and walking paths.