Jerusalem's Western Wall & Temple Mount | A Journey Through 3,000 Years of History.

Walk with us through the heart of Jerusalem as we visit two of the world's most extraordinary historic and religious sites—the Western Wall and the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif). The Western Wall, often called the Kotel, is the last remaining visible section of the massive retaining wall that once supported the Temple Mount during the reign of King Herod the Great over 2,000 years ago. Today it is Judaism's holiest place of prayer, where worshippers from around the world gather to pray and place handwritten prayers between its ancient stones. Rising above the Wall is the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary), one of the most historically and spiritually significant places on Earth. Revered by Jews as the location of the First and Second Temples, it is home to both the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. At the center of the Dome of the Rock is an exposed limestone outcrop known as the Foundation Stone. According to Jewish tradition, this sacred rock marks the location of the Holy of Holies within the ancient Jewish Temples and is also associated with Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. Many Jewish traditions also regard it as the symbolic place from which God created the world. In Islamic tradition, the same rock is believed to be the place from which the Prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven during the Isra and Mi'raj (Night Journey), accompanied by the angel Gabriel. This event makes the Temple Mount Islam's third holiest site after Mecca and Medina. The Dome of the Rock itself was completed in AD 691–692, making it one of the oldest surviving works of Islamic architecture in the world. Although the shrine is more than 1,300 years old, its brilliant golden exterior is much newer. In the early 1990s, King Hussein of Jordan personally funded a major restoration of the dome, donating approximately 80 kilograms (176 pounds) of gold to create the magnificent gold-covered dome seen today. The Temple Mount also holds profound biblical significance for Christians. It was here that Jesus was presented as an infant, taught as a young boy, preached during His ministry, and drove the money changers from the Temple courts. #Jerusalem #Israel #WesternWall #TempleMount #AlAqsa #JerusalemWalkingTour