Jerusalem is not only one of the oldest cities on our planet, but also one of the most significant in religious, historical and cultural terms. The stones of this city keep the memory of the kings mentioned in the Old Testament; Christ and his disciples and the Prophet Muhammad walked on its land.
Of course, this city is rich in attractions, we can say that he is a tourist attraction. And in one visit you will not be able to see all the historical places, walk through the gardens and get acquainted with archaeological finds. Therefore, what to see in Jerusalem, everyone decides for himself.
Gethsemane
Today, the Garden of Gethsemane is quite small, only 1200 square meters, in biblical times the whole valley lying at the foot of the Mount of Olives was called that . Locals love to tell that it was in this garden that Jesus prayed on the night of his arrest.
Choosing what to see in Jerusalem from the sights, you must definitely go here. It is best to get to the Garden of Gethsemane on foot, the road from the old city winds past an ancient cemetery, where the antiquity of the tombs of the prophets impresses.
Surprisingly, some olive trees growing in Gethsemane are over 1000 years old. Of course, no one really knows exactly where the tree was, under which Christ prayed, but I want to believe that this is one of the eight surviving ancient olives.
In 1924, the construction of the Temple of All Nations was completed in the garden, which was erected on the site of an ancient church of the second half of the 4th century. Many Catholic countries took part in the work, and their coats of arms adorn the domes of the temple.
Wall of Tears
The Wailing Wall is a sacred pilgrimage site for Jews around the world, these are the remains of the foundation of the ancient sanctuary on the Temple Mount. Until recently, the stones lying at the base of the wall were dated from the times of the biblical king Herod. However, during modern excavations, archaeologists have found under them a much older masonry dating back to the era of King Solomon (about the tenth century BC). In this sacred place stood the ancient Temple, in which the Ark of the Covenant was kept. Several times, the ancient sanctuary was restored and reconstructed, until in the 70s the Romans destroyed the city and the Temple, and the Jews were forbidden to even approach Jerusalem.
For many centuries, even immediately after the formation of the state of Israel in 1948, this sacred place was inaccessible to Jews. Only pilgrims ascending Mount Zion could see from the distance the Wailing Wall. Israeli citizens received access to it only in 1967, after the bloody Six Day War.
Nowadays, Jews from all over the world make pilgrimages to this ancient sacred wall, here people turn to heaven with the most sacred prayers.
When deciding what to see in Jerusalem on your own, you should definitely visit the Wailing Wall. However, it must be borne in mind that this is a holy place for many pilgrims, and there are certain requirements for clothing: it should not be frank, preferably muted shades. Women and men on the wall pray in different places, even separate fountains with drinking water.
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
The place of the brutal execution and the subsequent resurrection of Jesus was revered by the early Christians. The first temple on this site was built by Emperor Constantine in 325. During the construction, shrines were discovered, allegedly associated with the burial place of Christ.
This magnificent temple with a separate mausoleum for storing the sacred coffin was destroyed in 1009. The building that can be seen today was built in the 11th century, after the first crusades.
Today, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is an entire architectural complex that includes Calvary with the place of the crucifixion of Christ, an underground temple, numerous chapels and monasteries. This Temple does not belong to any denomination, it is divided between six Christian churches. Believers have their own hours for services and prayers, no one has the right to change anything in the Temple without the consent of other believers.
Choosing what to see in Jerusalem in the Old City, you should definitely visit this ancient sacred place. Entering the building of the Temple, you can immediately see the Anointing Stone, on which the body of Christ lay after the crucifixion. Steps to his right lead to Calvary, to the left - the entrance to the chapel, where the Holy Sepulcher is stored under the ceiling.
It is better to visit the Temple on weekdays, during the holy holidays there are a lot of believers, and getting into the territory can be problematic.
Sorrow road
The road of sorrow (or the Way of the Cross) is probably the most significant place for Christians around the world. According to legend, it was on this path that Christ walked on his last day before the execution.
Mourning processions along this road were held in the fourth century, and in the sixth century, 14 stops were finally approved on the road, each of which marked an event on this mournful road. The Road of Sorrow begins in the place where, according to historians, Pontius Pilate pronounced the death sentence to Christ (now there is a Catholic convent on this site). Then the road passes by chapels and temples, each of which is built on the site of the suffering of the Lord. The path ends in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, through which the road to Calvary goes.
When planning what to see in Jerusalem, you need to know that it is better to go along the Sorrow Road as part of an excursion group. An experienced guide will tell you many interesting facts and legends about each stopping place. You can, of course, go this way yourself, but you won’t be able to get this amount of information yourself.
Temple Mount
This low hill in the southeastern part of the Old City of Jerusalem is the most sacred place for the Jews and the third most important pilgrimage site for Muslims.
According to legend, it was here that God placed the cornerstone of the universe. And it was from here that the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.
When Muslims invaded Jerusalem in the seventh century, they erected the Dome of the Rock mosque on the Temple Mount, at the base of which is the stone of the universe. The mosque is simply huge, more than 5,000 worshipers can be here at the same time.
Deciding what to see in Jerusalem in 1 day, it is worth to climb the Temple Mount. Entrance to the territory is absolutely free for representatives of all faiths, but only Muslims can enter the arches of a mosque.
Today, the sacred complex of the Temple Mount, located in the heart of Jerusalem, has a pentagonal shape and is surrounded by ancient stone walls. Archaeological surveys are constantly conducted here, but their results are not much publicized.
Chamber of the Last Supper
There is another place on the sacred mountain Zion, covered with ancient legends. This room is in one of the houses in Zion, where the last, sad meal of Christ and his disciples took place. In the 11th century, the Crusader knights found several preserved ancient buildings on the mountain, one of which was where the Last Supper took place. The knights built a temple here, with marble columns supporting the dome and stained glass windows.
To this day, the upper room has been preserved in its almost original form, thanks to the Sultan Saladin, who did not begin to destroy the church or remodel it into a mosque, but gave it to the Syrian Christians.
A visit to the Gornitsa is possible only at certain hours, therefore, thinking what to see in Jerusalem, it is better to know the schedule in advance.
Archaeological sites
For those travelers who are interested in history, the ancient city offers many places where you can see what for centuries has been hidden from the eyes of people.
For example, thinking about what to see in Jerusalem in two days, you can not only visit the Wailing Wall, but also go down into the tunnels that start from the Wall and stretch hundreds of meters under the city. Passing under their arches, you can see the ancient masonry of the base of the Wall, some corner stones weigh several tons. The beginning of the construction of these tunnels dates back to King Herod, who thus decided to increase the area of the sacred Temple Mount. The genius of ancient engineers, who built underground a whole system of arched passages that have stood for millennia, is striking. Underground is the Herodian Hall, which is staggering in its size, even the street that archaeologists date to the Second Temple period has been preserved.
When planning what to see in Jerusalem, you need to know that you can visit the Wailing Tunnels only by making an appointment for the excursion (sometimes it takes several months to register).
It is much easier to visit the Cardo Maximus archaeological open-air museum, located on the site of the city's once main street. After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, back in 132, the emperor ordered the construction of a Roman colony on the site of the destroyed city.
Deciding what to see in Jerusalem in 3 days, it is worth visiting this archaeological site to find out how the ancient Romans lived. The ancient masonry of the pavement, paved with stone slabs, is well preserved here, the roadway and sidewalks on both sides are clearly distinguished. On both sides there were continuous rows of shops. Surprisingly, the width of the street was 22 meters.
Rockefeller Museum Expositions
To the connoisseurs of antiquities: choosing what to see in Jerusalem, it is worth planning a trip to the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum. This museum, once called the Archaeological Museum of Palestine, has a unique collection of ancient artifacts. It is noteworthy that the museum building itself is located on the site where ancient tombs and many items were discovered, which later became part of the museum's collection.
The museum owes its existence to the generous contribution of billionaire John D. Rockefeller Jr., who in 1924 donated an incredible amount of one million pounds to create the museum. No wonder the museum bears his name.
Today, the museum’s collection consists of several thousand exhibits spanning a period of two million years, starting from prehistoric times and ending with the beginning of the 20th century. Most of the finds were made in 1920-1930, during large-scale excavations of Jerusalem and the neighboring cities of Meggido, Samaria and Jericho.
Art lovers
Traveling to Jerusalem will bring pleasure not only to lovers of historical sights, but also to fans of modern art. Surprisingly, deciding what to see in New Jerusalem in 1 day, you must definitely visit the Knesset Parliament building. The powerful building, which is located in the central district of Givat Ram, was built in 1966. Famous sculptors and artists took part in its decoration.
A huge menorah (ritual lamp) made by the British sculptor Benno Elkan stands in front of the building, and the famous sculptor David Palombo created the decorative grille around the building.
The interior decoration of the Knesset building is largely due to Marc Chagall, who created three amazing biblical tapestries and numerous mosaics that adorn the interior.
Opposite the Knesset building is the Museum of Israel, which operates art galleries seven days a week. In addition to the collection of paintings by classics - Picasso, Kandinsky, Monet, here you can see the authentic ancient Dead Sea scrolls.
Amazing Bible Zoo
Resting in the city with children and wondering what to see in New Jerusalem in 1 day, it’s difficult to resist and not visit the unusual zoo, where all the animal species mentioned in the Bible live. It is located on the outskirts of the city, on the slope of a small canyon. Despite the name, among the pets of the zoo you can find not only biblical animals, but also representatives of species that lived in Israel in ancient times - bears, lions, crocodiles.
Surprisingly, the zoo has a lot of greenery. A small river flows along the bottom of the canyon, on which small islands are equipped, on which numerous monkeys live. Animals do not live in cramped cages, but in spacious enclosures that look like part of a natural landscape. Bears bathe in a river flowing past, elephants and zebras roam around large territories. Here everything is thought out so that you can observe the animals in conditions as close to natural as possible.
Thinking about what to see for tourists in New Jerusalem, you can get not only to the zoo, but also to the large botanical garden. Due to the fact that Jerusalem is located on the border of two different climatic zones, both Mediterranean plants and plants of North American bogs grow well here. In a tropical greenhouse, where it is always hot and humid, there are thickets of coffee trees, palm trees and bananas.
It is impossible not to mention the unique Bible trail. Here, along a winding path, more than 70 species of plants mentioned in the Bible grow. An audio guide (you can get it at the ticket office when buying a ticket) and information signs near each plant will help you figure out where what is growing.
Mahane Yehuda Market
This old and original market is definitely worth a visit, choosing what to see in New Jerusalem. Locals consider it the best grocery market in Israel, and most likely they know best.
When you get here, you feel the indescribable aroma of the freshest pastries, oriental spices, delicious coffee. For lovers of sweets, there is a shop where they offer more than a hundred types of halva with various additives, you can get confused when choosing. And in the cheese shop you can try all the variety of local cheeses.
There are always very good prices for seasonal fruits, and you can and should bargain with any seller. Freshly squeezed olive oil and oriental sweets can be taken home.
A huge number of small cafes and restaurants where you can always enjoy colorful oriental dishes work in the Mahane Yehuda market (locals call it simply the "Shuk" market).