Jerusalem Things to Do Tips by leffe3

Temple Mount (Har Habayit in Hebrew, Haram esh-Sharif in Arabic) is one of the holiest of all places and is recognised in both Jewish and Islamic religions as the site of Mount Moriah where Abraham offered his son as sacrifice. In the Jewish religion, King Solomon built the First Temple almost 3000 years ago but which was destroyed in 586 BC. The Second Temple was built in approx 450 BC and remained the key centre in Judaism until its destruction in 70 AD by the Romans. Only the Western Wall remained - and this has become the most revered of all sites in the Jewish religion - Ha'Kotel, the Western Wall or more commonly known at the Wailing Wall.

Mount Moriah remained in ruins until the end of the 7th century, when the Muslim conquest resulted in a 'House of Prayer' being erected over what was believed to be the actual bedrock where Abraham offered his sacrifice. So the Dome on the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra), one of the most famous of all Islamic buildings, was built. As it a shrine and not a mosque, alongside it, the al-Aksa mosque was built. Dome on the Rock is the third holiest site in Islam.

Entering the gates of the complex has never been that straightforward as it is dependent on prayer times etc. Needless to say, it is almost impossible at the moment. Nevertheless, there are many vantage points dotted round the city where you can get great views of the golden dome, including the steps overlooking the Western (Wailing) Wall, the church tower of St John's and various rooftops (Old City) and a few places outside the walls themselves.

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Address: Old City

The most sacred spot in Judaeism - the remaining wall of the second temple. A huge plaza (tight security) afronts the place of worship, as orthodox and religious jews congregate throughout the day to pray. As men and women are not allowed to pray together, it is segregated between the genders. Friday evenings are the best time to visit as shabbat sets in, with many thousands flocking to the Kotel (Hebrew name), the sound of the faithful singing their songs and prayers cutting through the air. or Tuesdays - the official days of the Bar Mitzvas.

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If you're in the Old City on Tuesdays, head for the Western (Wailing) Wall - the traditional day for bar Mitzvah celebrations at the Holiest of Jewish sites. As the 13 year old boy reaches maturity and manhood, and is now seen as old enough to be 'responsible' for himself, no longer the spiritual responsibility of his parents, so many Bar Mitzvahs take place at the Wall. It is mainly overseas 'pilgrims' that undertake the celebration here and it is a cacophony of noise, celebration and joy. It's quite an amazing sight, with many celebrations talking place simultaneously.

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Directions: In the Old City Jerusalem

In the shadows of the western wall, and stretching outside the current walls of the Old City is the Jerusalem Archaelogical Park. Formerly just the Ophel Archaelogical Park, new diggings round the south-western corner of the Western Wall and the building of a state of the art virtual exhibition centre (Davidson Centre) has led to this massive expanision and is incorporated into the Jerusalem Archaelogical Park, developed round the oldest settlement of Jerusalem.

The entrance to the Park is just inside Dung Gate and the access road to the Western Wall. Start at the Davidson Centre, which includes models of Jerusalem as well as introductory films about ancient Jerusalem. Once outside, the walls of the 2nd Temple (and which are now the walls of the Mosque) tower above you. Here you will find the original foundations of shops, buildings etc that lined Herodian Street - the main throughfare of Jerusalem at the time of the 2nd Temple. Some 20 metres above you is what was once the main entrance into the Temple complex (access now destroyed - when the Romans destroyed the 2nd Temple, they dislodged the stones that formed the access ramp, hurling the huge stones to the streets below. Many of these rocks remain in situ today).

'Round the corner' is the Umayyad Palace foundations from the 6th & 7th century - now an immense courtyard of foundations and columns with access to the city ramparts. Through a small gate is access to the Ophel Archaelogical Park, which is officially outside the walls of the Old City. Abutting the southern wall of the 2nd Temple, the Hula Gates are to be found (or the remains - they are now bricked in), which were the 2nd and 3rd entrances to the Temple.

It's a huge complex - and although there is little more than foundations and exterior walls to be found, its a fascinating new addition to what's on offer in Jerusalem.

Entrance fee: NIS 30, Open Sunday-Thursday, 9am - 5pm, Friday 9am - 3pm

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Address: Dung Gate, Old City

The Old City is completely surrounded by walls with the exception of Mount Zion. Built in the 16th century, the walls begun at Damascus Gate and headed south from there, incorporating seven gates (an eighth - imaginatively called New Gate - was added in the 19th century). Legend has it that the builders, having decided to save time and money by excluding Mount Zion and the Franciscan monastery, were beheaded by a furious Suleyman the Magnificent, Ottoman conqueror of Jerusalem (an alternate legend is that they were beheaded to ensure they never built anything as magnificent as the walls of Jerusalem). Either way, it sounds as if they ended up without their heads!

Circumventing the entire city, they are a stunning sight. There is access to the walls and ramparts, enabling you to walk around the tops of the walls. Until recently much of the walkway was closed for various reasons - security and religious ones. Access was limited to entry at Jaffa Gate to Dung Gate (Armenian and Jewish quarters) and Jaffa Gate to Damascus Gate (circumventing primarily the Christian Quarter). Good news is that now (April 2007) you can walk from Jaffa Gate to St Stephens/Lion Gate, incorporating both the Christian and Arab quarters. Now, the only section you cannot cover runs between St Stephens and Dung Gates, which would overlook the Mosque on Temple Mount.

Whether you look at them from afar or walking round them, the Walls and Ramparts of the Old City are a stunning sight.

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For a long time, it was only possible, in this direction, to go from Jaffa Gate as far as Damascus Gate, overlooking the Christian Quarter. I was amazed (but delighted), in April 2007, to discover that you could walk from Jaffa all the way round to St Stephens/Lions Gate - thus walking round approximately half the city (Christian and Moslem) and coming out at St Stephen's, which leads you to Gethsemane, Mount of Olives etc.

NIS16 gives you access, the entrance sandwiched between Jaffa Gate and the first shops (left hand side of the gate as you walk into the old city). It'll take about 1 to 1.5 hours to walk round (allowing plenty of photo stops), looking into courtyards of the city and some great views of the rooftops, churches, mosques etc. The Damascus Gate demands extra time to look aorund - there are many levels to access, peer, stare etc. Look across the Old City or over the ramparts onto the 'new' city.

It's a fairly easy walk but would try and avoid non-grip shoes - the stones have been worn pretty smooth! There's a lot of steps to be navigated - although they tend to be a few at a time (other than beginning and end).

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From the outside, one of the most important Christian church and focus for many pilgrmages, fails to impress. This is mainly due to the lack of viewpoint in the old alleyways of the old city - you turn a corner and there it is, a small open plaza leading to the main doors, the dome of the building almost hidden from street level. And even once inside it is difficult to ascertain the true enormity of the place as it is a complete warren of separate Chapels: the differing faiths within the all-encompassing term 'Christian' do not live side by side very easily (to such an extent that the key to the church is held by a local Muslim, who's responsibility it is to open the church each morning and lock it at night). Stories abound of the lack of co-operation between the differing groups within the church. About the only thing that is agreed on is that the church is on the site of Golgotha - the place of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

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Directions: Old City - in the warren of alleyways that joins the Christian and Moslem quarters.

The Stone of Unction greets you as you walk through the main entrance. This is worshipped as the stone of annointment before the burial of Jesus. (Its not the real one as it was placed here in 1810 - it is, however, constantly wet...)

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The Greek Choir, the largest space in the Church by far.

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Deep in the recesses of the church is the Russian orthodox chapel - Church of St Helena - along with the modernised Chapel of the Discovery of the Cross, hewn into the rock foundations.

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