Jerusalem - what kind of city is this?
Jerusalem is considered by many to be a holy city,adherents of various religions perceive it as their own, so it unites Islam, Judaism and Christianity. In addition, this capital is home to various ethnic groups, such as Arabs and Armenians, but the majority are Jews, of which more than 30% are ultra-Orthodox. This must be taken into account when visiting Israel, so as not to find yourself in trouble and not to offend the morals and traditions of the world landmark in front of the residents of Jerusalem. The old part of the city is divided into 4 quarters: Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Armenian, of which the first district is considered the cheapest in terms of housing and the least safe. There is an opinion, and many agree with it, that this city is in the center of the world, and the Old City is called the heart of Jerusalem. Its area is small, it is only about 1 sq. km, and it itself is one attraction that is impossible to have time to inspect and thoroughly study even in several years. The new part, which is the rest of Jerusalem, began in 1860, its construction began from the west of the Jewish outskirts. The new city continues to grow, and now more than 780 thousand people live in it. The capital of Israel is available for familiarization trips at any time of the year, and the comfortable warm weather continues in winter. In summer, the temperature is around +28 ° C, and in winter it is rarely below +7 ° C. The city has a lot of hotels, boarding houses, hostels and guest houses, each of which has its own advantages, and the range of prices will allow you to choose the most suitable option. Travel agencies offer travelers tours for any budget, for any age category, based on the desire to visit this or that attraction.
Mosque Kubbat al-Sahra
This mosque is known to tourists as the Dome of the Rock, itis the main attraction of Jerusalem. Its huge golden dome, 20 meters in diameter, can be seen by every resident and visitor from anywhere in the Old City. It was erected on top of the Temple Mount, which in ancient times was called Mount Moriah. Now this mosque is an architectural landmark, a historical monument and the heritage of all of Israel. The Dome of the Rock was built a long time ago, back in the 7th century BC, Homir Abu il-Malik gave the order to create the building. Its amazing appearance will not leave anyone indifferent. The mosque was seized by Christians and Muslims, it was destroyed, burned, it suffered from earthquakes, but with each restoration, all the best craftsmen and materials were used and it acquired even greater grandeur. The number 4 was used in the construction. It symbolized the 4 cardinal points, so the Dome of the Rock has 4 doors oriented to the south, north, west and east. The landmark is surrounded by a terrace, with steps leading up to it from each cardinal point. The walls, decorated with mosaics and tiles, rise above the city, they are made in blue-green-white-gold colors, and inside the building you can see the golden letters with which the Koran was transferred to the walls. Among the numerous columns of the main mosque of Jerusalem, in the very center of the Dome, there is a sacred platform from which, according to legend, the prophet Muhammad ascended. It rises 2 meters above the marble floor, it is surrounded by a wooden balustrade, and therefore it seems as if it is floating in the air. Most tourists will have to admire the landmark from a distance. This mosque is open only to the "faithful", as it is the most important Muslim shrine. There is a belief that one night the Archangel Gabriel seated Muhammad on a winged horse and carried him from Mecca to Jerusalem. There the prophet was allowed to ascend to Allah, who entrusted him with all the Muslim covenants, and on earth, in Qubat as-Sakhra, three hairs from the prophet's beard and the imprint of his foot remained, kept in the Dome.
The Majestic Wailing Wall
The length of the wall is 488 meters.It rises 15 meters, and part of it is hidden under the ground. It was built from huge stone blocks, pre-cut, each stone was tightly adjacent to the others, each new row was placed with a ledge inward. This tilted the wall, but helped it to stand for a long time without a binding substance. The Wailing Wall is a famous landmark of the Jewish people. It is believed that all Jews, when they pray, look towards Israel, those living in Israel - towards Jerusalem, and the Jews of Jerusalem look towards the Wall when praying. This structure began to be called the Wailing Wall because the Jews mourn their First Temple and Second Temple here. Both were destroyed in different years, but on the same calendar day. The prophet Jeremiah predicted the destruction of the Jerusalem temple and that the wall of one of them would remain. Now it is the heritage and holy place of all Jews, thousands of people come here every day, at any time of the year and from all over the world. Here you can meet Jews from all over the world, and residents of Israel, and tourists. People pray for the revival of the power of Israel, they write notes with requests to God and put them between the stones. You can ask for anything: health, healing, love, wealth and even peace in the whole world. But you can only approach in appropriate clothing: women must cover their shoulders and be dressed modestly, without sparkles, motley and numerous decorations, and married women must cover their heads with a scarf during the prayer. Men must wear hats. At the Western Wall, men should stand on the left side, and women on the right side. At any time, the structure is lively, a variety of languages are heard, people of all ages ask for something of their own. It is also worth remembering that admission is free for everyone, and on Saturdays and Jewish holidays smoking, using mobile phones and taking photographs are prohibited on the premises.
The Way of the Cross
Via Dolorosa, also known as the Roadsorrows - this is the path that Jesus Christ took from the place where he was condemned to Golgotha. It is believed that 14 times some events stopped the procession, and chapels or churches have now been erected in these places. The road begins on the territory of the former Antonia Tower, where a Catholic women's monastery now stands. Previously, this was the residence of Pontius Pilate, the Roman prosecutor who sentenced Jesus to death. In the courtyard of the monastery there are two chapels, the Condemnation and the Flagellation. The first was erected on the site of the sentence, and the second is the next stop on the route. According to legend, it was at this place that the saint was scourged, dressed in a purple shroud and a crown of thorns. The third station is the first fall of Jesus, the fourth is the place where the saint met his mother, the Virgin Mary. Traditionally, she overtook the entire procession to see her son. The sixth station is associated with the meeting with Veronica, who came out of the crowd and wiped his face with a cool, damp cloth. At the seventh station, Jesus fell for the second time, tripping over the threshold of the Judgment Gate as he left the city. The eighth station on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem is remembered for the saint's address to the daughters of the city. The ninth point is where the condemned man fell again, for the third time, after he saw Golgotha. The remaining five stations are already inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and go in this order: removal of clothes, nailing to the cross, death on the cross, removal from the cross, placement in the tomb.
The Gate of the Holy City
Jerusalem has always been a landmarkThere are 8 gates surrounding the old part of the city. The most beautiful, richly decorated and noticeable of them are the Damascus Gate, which leads to the Muslim quarter. They are also called the Column Gate, since the distance from the capital of Israel to any other city was measured from one of the columns. The Lion Gate is decorated with lions from heraldry, it was through them that Jesus entered Jerusalem, and Via Dolorosa begins next to them. The smallest gate leading to the Muslim quarter is the Dung Gate, which used to be an ordinary opening in the fortress wall. The Jaffa Gate is the most famous, since almost all tourists begin their acquaintance with each attraction of the city from it. The King David Gate stands next to Mount Zion and the tomb of King David. The Flower Gate is decorated with an ornament of flowers, they are also called the gates of Herod, Antipas, whose house stood nearby. The Hamid Gate is relatively new and was built to reduce the crowds of pilgrims who marched to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Golden Gate had been walled up by the Turks for a long time. The Jews believed that the new messiah was to come through it, but his enemies blocked his way.
