Western Wall Jerusalem
Western Wall - Jerusalem
The Western Wall - Jerusalem's most revered Jewish landmark - is actually a
misnomer since the Western Wall 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 cut rocks. The
Western Wall, the most revered site in Judaism today, is actually just 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 plaza is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, but if you wish to avoid the crowd like the one above, go very early in the morning. To get close to the wall, dress modestly (e.g., no shorts or tank tops) and pick up a head covering from a bin near the entrance to the plaza. Men can approach the wall only from the left side of the plaza as you are facing the wall, 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 plaza is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, but if you wish to avoid the crowd like the one above, go very early in the morning. To get close to the wall, dress modestly (e.g., no shorts or tank tops) and pick up a head covering from a bin near the entrance to the plaza. Men can approach the wall only from the left side of the plaza as you are facing the wall, and the women, only from the right.