Jerusalem (Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם; Arabic: القُدس) is the capital as well as the largest city in Israel. It has a population of 732,1000 over an area of 125.1 sq kilometers. Jerusalem is located in the Judaen Mountains, between the Mediterranean Sea and the northern tip of the Dead Sea. With a history that goes back to four thousand years BC, Jerusalem is regarded as the holiest city in Judaism and the spiritual center for the Jewish people since the 10th century BC. It is also rich with ancient Christian sites and is the third holiest city in Islam.
The Old City of Jerusalem is a walled area that constituted the whole of Jerusalem until the 1860s. This Old City and its walls were proposed in 1982 by Jordan to be placed on the World Heritage Site Endangered List. It comprises four quarters, namely the Armenian, Christian, Jewish and Muslim Quarters. The size of this Old City is small - only 0.9 square kilometers. Nevertheless, it holds most of the sites of great religious significance, including the Temple Mount and the Western Wall for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, and the Dome on the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for the Muslims.
Outside the Old City is modern Jerusalem. The Arab population resides in clusters on the north, east and south of the city. Today Jerusalem continues to be a hotbed of conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians: the Palestinians regard East Jerusalem, which includes Jerusalem's Old City and the aforementioned holiest sites, as the capital of the Palestinian state while Israel regarded the "united Jerusalem" as Israel's eternal capital.
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dome_of_the_Rock_01.jpg Author: Chad Rosenthal
Going to Jerusalem
The main gateway to Israel is the Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV). From there, you can take a bus to Jerusalem. However, the most practical way is to get a taxi or shared taxi. Expect extremely tight security at the airport. You will have some trouble if you happen to have an Arabic sounding name.
Getting around in Jerusalem
Again, the most practical way to travel within Jerusalem is by taxi, which are plentiful. However beware of taxis that will literally take you for a ride. Insist on using the meter at all times.
Damascus Gate Gate built in 1542 by the Ottoman ruler Suleiman the Magnificent.
Dome of the Rock The oldest extant Islamic building in the world, on the spot where Abraham fulfilled God's test to see if he would be willing to sacrifice his son Isaac.
Garden Tomb Site believed to be where Jesus Christ was buried and resurrected.
Gethsemane The garden where Jesus and his disciples retreated to pray after the Last Supper.