 THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM
The Old City of Jerusalem is made up of four quarters.
Within the Jewish Quarter is the Western Wall, or sometimes called just "The Wall" (HaKotel in Hebrew). The Wall has been the focal point of Jewish prayer, hopes, tears and joy for millennia. King Herod, king of Judea under the Romans, was known as a master builder. He constructed the Holy Temple which the Mishnah refers to as the most beautiful structure ever built. The Western Wall was constructed as a retaining wall to hold up the area upon which the Temple was built. Some of the stones in The Wall are 2000 years old, the largest of which weighs 500 tons.
The Dome of the Rock, built in 691 by the Caliph Abdl el Malik, stands on what the Moslems call the Haram esh Sharif. This holy site is in the Moslem Quarter and sits on the place from which Muhammad is believed to have made his night journey into the heavens.
The glittering golden dome can be seen for miles and is the symbol of the oneness and continuity of the Abrahamic, i.e. Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths.
The center of the Christian Quarter is the renowned Church of the Holy Sepulcher, drawing thousands of pilgrims who want to see where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.
The Church is a mixture of designs and architectural styles dating from Constantine till today.
The Cathedral of St. James, the jewel of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, lies in the heart of the Armenian Quarter. It was built on the site of the tombs of St. James, the Apostle. A magnificent edifice dating from the 12th century, with mostly 18th century decoration, it ranks as one of the most awe-inspiring cathedrals in the Middle East.
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