Exploring Jerusalem’s Holiest Sites

The Holy City of Jerusalem is perhaps the most significant and most renowned religious city on Earth. In no other single place can you find such a concentration of sites sacred to three major world religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. This compact ancient city, surrounded by a wall more than 450 years ago, is home to one of the holiest Jewish sites and never fails to amaze visitors with its extraordinary religious history, which remains very much alive.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Address: Jerusalem

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This site is traditionally regarded as the holiest place for Catholic and Orthodox Christians, marking the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and Resurrection. Completed in A.D. 335, its basilica was constructed on the foundations of an ancient Roman temple to Venus (Aphrodite). The actual sepulcher resides inside the Edicule, a two-room chapel beneath the church’s rotunda. Separate prayer times are allocated for various denominations.

Keep in mind: Expect long lines to gain entrance to the Edicule.

Temple Mount/Dome of the Rock

Address: Jerusalem

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The Temple Mount is a historic and elevated platform in the Old City of Jerusalem, possessing multifaceted and sometimes contentious religious significance. It takes its shape from the construction of the First and Second Jewish Temples. Today, at its center stands the Dome of the Rock, an ornate Islamic shrine built in 691, marking it as Islam’s third holiest site, associated with Abraham’s offering of Ishmael and the Prophet Mohammed’s ascension to heaven.

This sacred site also encompasses the Foundation Stone, regarded as the holiest site in Judaism. The Dome of the Rock is located adjacent to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is also part of the Temple Mount.

Keep in mind: The Temple Mount, while beautiful, can also be a place of high tension, having been a significant flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Western Wall

Address: The Western Wall Plaza, Jerusalem

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The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is one of Judaism’s most sacred sites and forms part of the western flank of the Temple Mount. This imposing remnant of Jerusalem’s Second Temple, which the Romans destroyed in A.D. 70, remains a testament to Jewish resilience. According to tradition, despite the temple’s destruction, the divine presence persists. The hushed atmosphere enveloping the plaza as Jews approach the wall to pray is captivating.

Jews from around the world visit to place prayer notes in the wall’s crevices.

Keep in mind: As a sacred site, visitors should don a kippah (a small Jewish skullcap) before approaching the wall (kippas are available for free at the site). There is also a separate area of the wall designated for female visitors.

Mount Zion

Address: Mt Zion, Jerusalem, Israel

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Jerusalem’s Zion Gate links the Old City to Mount Zion, located just west of the Mount of Olives, and is a site sacred to both Christians and Jews. The Tomb of King David is found here, along with the Room of the Last Supper, a Romanesque Crusader structure also known as the Coenaculum.

Additionally, Mount Zion features Dormition Abbey, which is traditionally regarded as the site where the Virgin Mary fell into an eternal sleep (Assumption of Mary).

Keep in mind: When visiting King David’s Tomb, you will be asked to turn off your cellphones. If you ignore this, it’s highly likely you will lose signal as you approach the tomb.

Via Dolorosa

Address: Via Dolorosa St, Jerusalem

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The Via Dolorosa is the path Jesus walked from the site of Pontius Pilate’s sentencing to Golgotha (the location of the crucifixion). It is considered the most sacred Christian byway globally. Among the 14 stations, which Christians have traversed for over a thousand years, the most notable include the Praetorium and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Those walking the Via Dolorosa—translated as “way of sorrows”—symbolically engage with the trials of Christ’s Passion.

Keep in mind: If you’re walking the Via Dolorosa from April through October, prepare for heat; be sure to wear a hat for sun protection and stay hydrated.

Mount of Olives

Address: Mt of Olives, Jerusalem

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The Mount of Olives, named for the abundant olive trees that once graced its slopes, rises to approximately 2,683 feet above East Jerusalem. Notably recognized for its ancient Jewish cemetery in use for over 3,000 years, it also hosts numerous sites significant to Christianity and Islam, including Mary’s Tomb, the Church of Maria Magdalene, the Tomb of Zechariah, and the Garden of Gethsemane.