Old City of Jerusalem and Its Walls - Israel
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member denben
N 31° 46.695 E 035° 13.794
36R E 711155 N 3518021
The Old City of Jerusalem and Its walls was inscribed into the UNESCO list in 1981. However, it was cited as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Danger in 1982 due to religious violence and rapid urbanization surrounding these monuments.
Waymark Code: WM175AY
Location: Israel
Date Posted: 12/16/2022
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Tervas
Views: 3

The Old City of Jerusalem and Its Walls is one of the most popular UNESCO sites in the world, not just in Israel. The Old City of Jerusalem is the primary attraction since it is home to some of the most important historical and religious monuments in the world. The Old City measures about 0.9 square kilometers in size. It is a walled area that is located within the modern city of Jerusalem. This area is what made up the city of Jerusalem prior to 1860.

The Old City, as this walled area of Jerusalem, is referred to, features many sites of religious importance. During the earlier times, it was also divided into four uneven quarters: Christian Quarter, Muslim Quarter, Jewish Quarter and Armenian Quarter. The monumental walls that surrounded it were constructed sometime in early to mid-16th century.

During the time wherein Jerusalem was still part of the Ottoman Empire, the then Sultan Suleiman I commissioned for the old city walls to be rebuilt. It took four years to complete building the walls of Jerusalem. The entire length of the wall measures at over 4,000 meters with an average height of 12 meters. Meanwhile, these walls are roughly 2.5 meters thick! In total, it has 7 main gates and 34 watchtowers.

When it was built, the walls served to fend off its intruders. Today, it is one of the main attractions among tourists who visit The Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls.

List Of Important Monuments
When you plan on visiting the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls, here are some of the most notable monuments you cannot afford to miss:

Church of the Holy Sepulchre: This church is located within the Christian quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem. In fact, the quarter was developed around it and there are up to 40 other holy Christian sites surrounding it. But this church is highly important to Christians as this is believed to be the site where Jesus was crucified and buried.

Dome of the Rock: This structure sits atop the Western Wall and is a building open to Muslim visitors. This Islamic shrine is located on the Temple Mount and was opened in 691 AD. In addition to having religious value for Islam, it is also distinguished by its unique architectural style which blends Ottoman, Islamic and Byzantine influences.

Western Wall: This is one of the most important monuments in the Jewish Quarter of Old Jerusalem. Its connection to the Temple Mount is one of the reasons it was considered sacred by Jews. It is an old limestone wall which is the only one left standing of an old retaining wall.

Note: The coordinates are from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Source: (visit link)
Type: Site

Reference number: 148

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