Western Wall
The Western Wall is a holy site for the Jewish people, a place for prayer and religious & national gatherings. The Western wall is one of four huge supporting walls built during the 1st century BCE, when Herod renovated the Second Temple. Herod created a huge courtyard on the Temple Mount, with the temple at its center. The original height of the Wailing Wall is around 30 meters, and it is half- kilometer long. It was built on top of the original stones of Jerusalem. Fillings and arches were built within the space between the walls and the mountain, and above them a paved 144 thousand- square- meter courtyard the size of 12 modern soccer fields was constructed.
The stones of the wall are chiseled in a way that is characteristic of the construction during the times of Herod the Great: The stone frame is chiseled, smoothed and a bit sunken, whereas the center of the stone protrudes outwards. The wall is made out of quarried stones of massive size. Their weight ranges from 2 to 5 tons. Those who stand near the wall will notice that each course of stones recedes around 3 cm inwards from the course under it. This building method was meant to strengthen and stabilize the wall.
During the 16th century, when the Jews’ pilgrimage to the Temple Mount was prohibited, the wall began to serve as a prayer place for them, a symbol of longing for the temple. A small alley lay at the foot of the wall, where Jews gathered, wishing to be as close as possible to the site of the destroyed temple. During the years in which Jerusalem was divided between Israel and the Kingdome of Jordan (1948-1967), access to the wall was prohibited. During this era, many Jewish pilgrims ascended to King David’s tomb in Mount Zion, in order to observe the Temple Mount from the building’s roof, hoping for a future return to praying at the Western Wall.
Soon after the end of the 6- day- war, masses flocked to the Jewish Quarter and, of course, to the Western Wall. Shortly after this, the houses of the Mughrabi neighborhood which were built adjoining the wall were destroyed, and the prayer plaza was created in its place.
Even today, many visit this place, which became a magnet for the Jewish people. Many tourists arrive here to visit and pray, many of them placing notes with requests between the cracks of the wall. Many ceremonies and events take place throughout the year at the Western Wall plaza: Bar Mitzva celebrations, special praying events and swearing in ceremonies of IDF soldiers.
It is highly recommended you visit the Western Wall Tunnels, which enable visitation of underground caverns and narrow corridors where the Western Wall is exposed throughout its length. It is also highly recommended that you visit the Chain of Generations Center, where a heart moving exhibition that presents the generations of Israel with breathtaking art works made out of layers of glass is located.