Jerusalem from Mount of Olives

Jerusalem (Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, Yerushaláyim or Yerushalaim; Arabic: القُدس, al-Quds, "the Holiness" is Israel's capital and largest city both in population and area, with a population of approximately 724,000 (as of 2006) and an area totaling 123 square kilometers (47 sq mi).
Located in the Judean Mountains between the Mediterranean and Dead Seas, Jerusalem is considered a holy city in three major religions -- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jerusalem has been the holiest city in Judaism and the spiritual homeland of the Jewish people since the 10th century BCE. The city is the third-holiest in Islam and contains a number of significant and ancient Christian landmarks. Thus, while the city has a large Jewish majority, a wide range of national, religious, and socioeconomic groups are represented. The walled area of Jerusalem, which until the late 19th century formed the entire city, is now called the Old City and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It consists of four ethnic and religious sections -- the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters. Barely one kilometer square, the Old City is home to several of Jerusalem's most important and contested religious sites, including the Western Wall and Temple Mount for Jews, the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher among different sects of Christians.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Israel
• Israele
• Gerusalemme
• Jerusalem
• Temple
• Mount
• Jewish
• Muslim
• Mosque
• Moschea