Western Wall Jerusalem
Western Wall - Jerusalem
The Western Wall - Jerusalem's most revered Jewish landmark - is actually a
misnomer since it is not a wall, but a foundation.
When Herod 'the Great' - the one who wiped out the baby boys in Bethlehem
after hearing that the King of the Jews had been born there - set out to
expand the second Temple of Jerusalem, he found the
Temple Mount area too
small for his plans. So he enlarged it with a foundation built of rocks. The
Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism today, is actually the western
facade of this foundation, which is all that remained of the Temple Mount
after the sacking by the Roman army in 70 AD.
Travel Tip
To enter the Western Wall Plaza you need to go through one of three security checkpoints. The Western Wall Plaza is open 24/7, but if you wish to avoid the crowd like the one above, go very early in the morning. To get close to the Western Wall, dress modestly (no shorts) and pick up a head covering from a bin near the entrance. Men can approach the Western Wall only from the left side of the plaza and the women, only from the right.
Travel Tip
To enter the Western Wall Plaza you need to go through one of three security checkpoints. The Western Wall Plaza is open 24/7, but if you wish to avoid the crowd like the one above, go very early in the morning. To get close to the Western Wall, dress modestly (no shorts) and pick up a head covering from a bin near the entrance. Men can approach the Western Wall only from the left side of the plaza and the women, only from the right.