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The Western Wall Virtual tour – Visit the Kotel

Jerusalem travel guide

The Western Wall also called the Wailing wall, is the western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, the one that was closest to the Holy of Holies when the Temple stood.

The holiest Jewish site in the world and a renowned symbol of Jerusalem’s Old City, the Western Wall is a remnant of the retaining wall built by Herod the Great in the 1st century BC, to encompass the Second Temple enclosure.

As the only remainder of their sacred, destroyed Temple, Jewish people from all over the world, throughout two thousands years of exile, have faced the direction of the Western Wall on their prayers.

It is a Jewish belief that the Holy Presence has never left the Western Wall, thus it became the most significant site of Jewish pilgrimage, where Jews came to mourn the ruin of the Temple. This is how the Wall, “Ha’kotel” in Hebrew, has gained the name – the “Wailing Wall”.

The big plaza in front of the Wall is divided into two sections – one for women and one for men. Here you can observe different kinds of Jewish activities and prayers, from orthodox Jews dressed in black reading their bible, to Israeli soldiers and groups of Jewish tourists. Leaning against the Wall and kissing the stones, the prayers’ most famous custom is to insert a note with a prayer to God between the Wall’s bricks, believing in its priority to be answered.

The Western Wall serves as a favorite location for Jewish traditional celebrations, and gets amazingly alive on Friday eve (the arrival of Sabbath) and on Jewish holidays. While visiting the Kotel you may see a Bar Mitzvah kid holding the Torah on his traditional ceremony, or an excited bride & groom being photographed before their wedding.
Information:

The Western Wall is open 24 hours, and requires a modest dress for women and a head cover for the men. Admission is free. The closest gate to enter the Old City directly to the Wall is the Dung Gate. Buses No. 1 and 2 reach inside the Old City to the area of the Wall.

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The Western Wall Time Line Jerusalem

1000 BC – Purchasing Mount Moria King David conquered Jerusalem, which was a Jebusite city located on the Ophel hill, southeast of today’s Old City area. He bought a neighboring hill, which was later identified with Mount Moria (the site of Isaac’s sacrifice), on which he placed the Ark of the Covenant. 950 BC – The Construction of the First Temple King Solomon, the son of David, built the First Temple on Mount Moria, which known today as the Temple Mount. 586 BC – The Destruction of the First Temple Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, conquered Jerusalem, burnt the Temple and exiled the Jews to Babylon. 515 BC – The Construction of the Second Temple In 537 BC, after 50 years in the Babylonian exile, the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem and began to rebuild the city and the Temple. The Second Temple was completed in 515 BC. Model of Second Temple 37- 4 BC – Herod’s Temple Herod the Great was appointed to the King of Judah and begun to reconstruct the Second Temple and to build the Temple Mount. He built an incredibly magnificent temple and a retaining wall around the Temple Mount enclosure. 70 AD – The Destruction of the Second Temple The Great Revolt of the Jews against the Romans led to the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple by Titus. The only remnant left was the western part of the Temple Mount’s retaining wall, which became the focal point of the Jewish people throughout the centuries. The authentic bricks of that wall can be seen at the bottom rows of today’s Western Wall. May 14, 1948 – The Western Wall Falls to Jordanian Hands A few hours after the official proclamation of the state of Israel, the Arab armies of the neighboring countries invaded Israel, and the terrible War of Independence begun. The Old City of Jerusalem, with the Western Wall in its center, fell to Jordanian legionnaires. Western Wall – Virtual Tour June 7, 1967 – Israel Regains Control of the Western Wall During the Six Days War and after 19 years, in which the access to the Wall was prevented from the Jews, the Israeli army recaptured the Old City of Jerusalem, and liberated the Western Wall. The Year 2000 – E-Communication with the Western Wall Maintaining the old tradition of placing a note with a prayer to God in the Wall’s bricks, the era of High Technology and e-communication provides a virtual answer for those who like to send their prayers to God, without actually visiting the Wall. The believer can now send his request via e-mail or fax and it will be placed between the Wall’s bricks.

Baka Neighbourhood Jerusalem

Baka is another one of the neighborhoods in Jerusalem, infected by the American Jewish invasions to Jerusalem. Enough so that if this invasion continues it seems as if soon enough the whole area of the German Colony, Baka and Katamon will become a sort of satellite neighborhood of Brooklyn. Known once for its prosperous times in the British Mandatory, when it was mostly populated by Arab Christians, today, the apartments that were resettled during 1948, serve mainly new immigrants coming from the states and France. Baka’s main street, Beit Lechem, isn’t as sophisticated as its supposed twin from the German Colony, Emek Refaim. But, acting as a melting pot for new immigrants, with the famous Ulpan Etzion (the biggest Hebrew language school for new immigrants in Jerusalem) nestled in it, you can be sure to find great European and American food in the area, proving that the absorption process is going well.

Mahane Yehuda Market - A Day at "The Shuk"

One of the most colorful spots in Jerusalem and a must visit for any tourist to the city, is the vibrant Mahane Yehuda Market, or "The Shuk" as they say in Hebrew. Whether you decide to visit it on Friday, its busiest day in the week, or on any other weekday, there are quite a few milestone's in the market which are a delight for the eye and of course the palate. Located between Jaffa and Agripas St. "The Shuk" can be easily reached by walking from the bus station or by almost any bus route in Jerusalem. Inside, it is divided by streets named after fruits and has both an open aired area and a covered one. With over 250 vendors in the market, selling mostly foods from a large variety of Jewish communities from all over the world, even if one plans on simply absorbing the market through his senses, it's always a good idea to have a list with the market's finest restaurants and vendors, to make the best out of your day in the market. Here is a Virtual tour of the Mahane Yehuda Market >> Marzipan, 44 Agripas St. Start off just before entering the market at the famous Marzipan bakery. Besides having a name after a delicious almond treat, Marzipan is famous for its sweet pastries dispersing its fragrances from outside the market. If you're a chocolate lover (and who isn't?), don't miss out on their famous chocolate rogalach, yummy. Uzi-Eli, 10 Ha'egoz St. Take a right from Agripas St. into the first entrance of the covered market on Ha'egoz St. (Nut St. in Hebrew) and walk until you reach a picturesque juice stand on your right called Uzi-Eli. Uziel the owner, is a cute looking 68 year old man originally from Yemen who's referred to as "The Dr." Besides his juices which are said to have unique healing qualities from helping headaches to improving your stamina, the doctor offers creams and sprays as well for the skin and will happily give you your own personal diagnosis. The Halva Kingdom, 75 Etz Ha'haim St. Once you get to Hashaked St. (Almond), turn right and then left on Etz Ha'haim St. (Tree of Life) and walk until you see a large halva stand to the left, known as The Halva Kingdom. There you'll find every kind of sweet tahini and honey mixture you could ever dream of, plus a few baklavas if you have an endless sweet tooth. Make sure to try the excellent King's Halva and maybe even take a few packs with you back home – where the sweet delight will be even more appreciated. Ha'agas Ehad, 1 Banay St. Located in the heart of the market on the old Pear St. (Ha'agas) is Ha'agas Ehad. Although today the street is named Banay St., after Eliyahu Yaakov Banay, one of the four fathers of the famous Banay family in Israel, we can still find on the same spot, the well known fresh vegan cuisine restaurant, Ha'agas Ehad. If at this point of the day your only craving is for a salad, no doubt this place would be your best choice. Mizrahi, 12 Hashazif St. Another famous establishment of the market, on Hashazif St. (Plum) parallel to Banay St. is the Mizrahi restaurant. Once a home to a spice stand, today, the daughter of the spice stand owner, runs a family based restaurant called Mizrahi, serving deliciously authentic cuisine on Kerosene stoves. Mazetim, 11 Hashazif St. Just across the restaurant, if you're thinking of eating in, is a great cheese shop called Mazetim, where you can get the best cheeses from all over the country and abroad. Just be careful while walking around the shop, near almost every cheese you can find a few cut squares from it for you to try, not the best for someone on a diet. Mousseline, 17 Ha'egoz St. Another thing that's best to stay away from if on a diet is Mousseline ice-cream shop. Fairly new to the market, back on Ha'egoz St, Mousseline has already managed to get quite a fan base for itself, with hard ice-cream addicts going crazy for their odd but tasty basil grapefruit flavor. The Iraqi Shuk After so much eating it might be a good idea to relax a bit and watch others relax as well. The Iraqi part of the market, set in its back is probably a good bet for that. Watch a large group of diverse grandfathers (not only Iraqi) play backgammon and cards, relaxing under the sun, either rain or shine. Try talking to them, if you look naïve enough, they might even let you play with them… Hachipuria, 6 Eshkol St. If you become hungry after your backgammon game, take a right when coming out of the Iraqi market just before going back into the shuk, to Eshkol St. There in a Georgian bakery, you can enjoy some yummy Georgian cuisine consisting mostly of cheese and dough. Hachipuria has a large variety of oily dough with cheese but if still on a diet, just take a sip of their local Georgian drink. Mahneyuda, 10 Beit Ya'akov St. Oddly enough, the one thing your day out to "The Shuk" won't be complete without is a visit to a new restaurant just outside the market named Mahneyuda. Run by three of the best chefs that Jerusalem has to offer, Mahneyuda prouds itself in having a different menu everyday, printed daily on recycled paper, that's decided on according to the catch of the day from the market. With small to main courses set by prices from low to high (only up to 130 NIS per course) on the menu and an open kitchen where you can actually see how the food is made, there's no wonder one needs to book at least two days in advance to get a table. The people, the smells, the flavors and the sounds of the bustling market will all boil down as night sets on Jerusalem. At that point you can find yourself going back to your hotel after a crazy but definitely filling day at "The Shuk".

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