Israel is a country located in the Middle East between two seas: the Mediterranean and the Red. Officially, this state is considered Jewish, but in fact it is a multinational democratic state. Israel is a country that everyone would probably like to visit.
Jerusalem is the ancient capital of Israel. According to some, this city is three thousand years old, according to others - seven thousand. Over its centuries-old history, the city has changed more than seventy names. It is not only the capital of Israel, but also the capital of three religions - Christianity, Judaism and Islam. There is no longer such a city on earth where synagogues, mosques and churches rule simultaneously. This holy city is called Golden Jerusalem and the city of Peace. They say that time and eternity are connected in this place, but to feel and be convinced of this, you need to visit here at least once.
Every year, millions of tourists and pilgrims from all over the world come to this mysterious and holy place. In Jerusalem there is simply a huge number of historical monuments of different cultures and peoples, it is simply impossible to get acquainted with them at a time. Therefore, having been here once, many come here again.
The narrow and winding streets of Jerusalem are constantly filled with crowds of tourists, through which it is sometimes difficult to get through. For tourists there are many hotels, bars, restaurants, various places of recreation and entertainment. You can get acquainted with the culture and history of the country by visiting unique museums and art galleries.
Pilgrims strive here to worship the holy places. For Muslims, this is the Omar mosque in Jerusalem or the Golden Dome over the Rock, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the tombs of the prophets Moussa and Daoud, as well as the place where the prophet Mohammed ascended. For the Jews, the Wailing Wall is the shrine - this is all that remains of the two Jerusalem Temples. Three times a year, Jews come here to pray and put notes addressed to God between the stones. For Christians, holy places are associated with the name of Christ, for example, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Gethsemane, the Way of the Cross, and Mount of Olives. Not far from Jerusalem is the city of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.
Now Jerusalem is the largest modern city in Israel. Here is the residence of the president, parliament and the office of the prime minister. Jerusalem is the official capital of Israel, recognized by the state itself, the United States and several Latin American countries. But most of the international community does not recognize this fact, and according to a UN resolution, Tel Aviv is considered the capital of Israel. It is here, in the second largest city, that all foreign embassies, the largest banks and representative offices of the country's leading companies are located. We can say that Tel Aviv is a business center or economic capital of Israel.
The historical part of Jerusalem is called the Old City and is surrounded by a twelve-meter fortress wall, more than two meters thick. The old city is divided into four parts: Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Armenian.
Eight gates lead to the city, which are still preserved. The most beautiful of them are Damascus Gate decorated with rich ornament. The Lion's Gate is known for the fact that the Sorrowful Path stretches behind them, according to which, according to biblical traditions, Christ went to Calvary. The gilded gate is a monument of a new era. According to legend, it was through them that Christ entered the city after the resurrection. And not far from the Wailing Wall there are the Manure gates through which garbage was once taken out. They are so narrow that a man with a donkey hardly passes through them. Now at this gate is a tour desk.
In the Old Town is the holy Mount Moriah, on which stands the Caliph Omar mosque. This amazing octagonal building in turquoise color is crowned by a huge golden dome, so the mosque is often called the Dome of the Rock. According to Jewish tradition, the stone, which is located on the top of Mount Moriah, is considered the place of creation of the World. The Omar Mosque in Jerusalem is the oldest Muslim building in the world and is rightly called the Miracle of Islam.
Tel Aviv, recognized as the capital of the country by the world community, is not as famous as Jerusalem, and not as famous as this famous city with a long history.