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| City Guide - Jerusalem - Key Attractions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Key Attractions Al Haram ash-Sharif (Temple Mount) Dominating the skyline of the Old City, gold glinting in the evening sunshine, is one of Jerusalem's most famous landmarks, the Dome of the Rock. A must for any visitor to the Old City, it is housed within the Temple Mount complex, a site sacred to the Islamic, Jewish and Christian religions, and was built as a monument over the rock from where Abraham offered Isaac for sacrifice, and where Muhammad ascended to heaven. The Temple Mount is also home to the silver domed Al Aqsa Mosque, which, unlike the Dome, is an actual Muslim place of worship. The Islamic Museum, the third building within the complex, contains Islamic artefacts and relics. Only one of the ten gates to the complex, Al-Maghariba (Moors) gate, allows entry for non-Muslims. It is located to the right of the Western Wall as you approach. Temple Mount, Old City Web site: www.al-aqsa.com (Palestinian site) Transport: Bus 1, 2 to the Dung Gate. Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 0730-1030 and 1230-1330; 0730-1030 only during Ramadam. Closed to non-Muslims Fri and Muslim holidays. Admission: Free (Temple Mount); NIS36 (Dome of the Rock, Al Aqsa Mosque and Islamic Museum combined ticket). Western Wall Situated at the bottom of Temple Mount is the Western or Wailing Wall. This is the last remnant of the great Temple of Herod and is the holiest place of prayer for Jewish people, with Jews from all over the world coming to place prayer notes and messages of goodwill in the cracks of the wall. The wall can be reached either through the Dung Gate or through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. The length of the wall has been divided into two sections of prayer: the left for men and the right for women. Any man or women may enter their section provided men have their heads covered (you can borrow a kippah or skullcap when entering) and women are modestly dressed. Temple Mount, Old City Transport: Bus 1, 2 to the Dung Gate. Opening hours: Daily 24 hours. Admission: Free. Citadel or Tower of David Despite its name, the Citadel has nothing to do with King David, the city's founder, and was in fact constructed in the first century BC as a fortress for Herod the Great. It has formed part of the defence structure of Jerusalem for over 2000 years. What remains today is largely medieval. It now houses the Museum of the History of Jerusalem, chronicling 4000 years of the city. The Citadel's tallest tower, the Phasael, offers a superb panorama over the Old City. Armenian Patriarchate Road Tel: (02) 626 5333. E-mail: tower@netvision.net.il Transport: Bus 1, 3, 13, 20, 38 or 99. Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 0900-1700, Fri and Sat 0900-1400 (Apr-Oct); Sun-Thurs 1000-1600, Fri and Sat 1000-1400 (Nov-Mar). Admission: NIS32 Via Dolorosa The Via Dolorosa ('Road of Sorrows') was the route walked by Jesus as he carried the Cross from his trial to his crucifixion at Calvary. The road begins at the Lion's Gate, passes through the Muslim Quarter and leads to the Calvary in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is marked along the way by the 14 Stations of the Cross. The stations mark events along the journey and at some of these points churches have been founded. Although the authenticity of these particular sites is disputed, it is likely that Jesus followed a path very similar to it, and every year tens of thousands of pilgrims walk the route in the belief that they are following in the footsteps of Christ. Via Dolorosa Transport: Bus 1 or 2 to Lion's Gate. Opening hours: Daily 24 hours. Admission: Free. Church of the Holy Sepulchre Containing the last five Stations of the Cross of the Via Dolorosa, this is the holiest Christian site in Jerusalem. As you enter the church, the stairs to the right lead to the Chapel of Golgotha and three Stations of the Cross, where Jesus was stripped, crucified and removed from the cross. The Sepulchre itself is at the centre of the church and marks where Jesus was buried and resurrected. Downstairs is the Angel's Chapel, where the resurrected Christ first revealed himself to Mary Magdalene. The existing structure dates mainly from the period of the Crusades, and is divided into sections devoted to several Christian denominations. Via Dolorosa Tel: (02) 627 3314. Transport: Bus 1, 3, 6, 19, 20, 30, 38 or 44 to the Jaffa Gate, then walk through the Old City. Opening hours: Daily 0530-2100 (summer); daily 0430-1900 (winter). Yad Va-Shem Taking its name from the Book of Isaiah and meaning 'an everlasting memorial', Yad Va-Shem is the world's most important Holocaust memorial and a monument to a nation's grief. It contains a compound of museums, memorials and a research and documentation centre. The Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations commemorates non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews and leads to the Historical Museum where the course of Hitler's 'Final Solution' is traced. The Hall of Remembrance is a solemn tent-like structure that allows visitors to pay their respects to the dead. Also contained within the complex is the Hall of Names, where the names of three and a half million Holocaust victims are recorded and constantly added to, as well as an Art Museum, containing work produced by Jews during the Holocaust, and the Children's Monument. Har Hazikaron (near Mount Herzl) Tel: (02) 644 3400. Fax: (02) 644 3443. E-mail: info@yad-vashem.org.il Web site: www.yad-vashem.org.il Transport: Bus 13, 17, 17a, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 39 or 99. Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 0900-1700, Fri 0900-1400. Admission: Free. |
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