JERUSALEM 16 CHRISTIAN QUARTER

JERUSALEM is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea
JERUSALEM is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions-Judaism, Christianity and Islam
In its long history-Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, captured/recaptured 44 times,attacked 52 times
THE WESTERN WALL (Hebrew: הַכּוֹתֶל הַמַּעֲרָבִי, romanized: HaKotel HaMa'aravi, literally 'the western wall') often shortened to the Kotel or Kosel) known in the West as the Wailing Wall and in Islam as the Buraq Wall is a portion of ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem that forms part of the larger retaining wall of the hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount
Western Wall is for the section of the wall used for Jewish prayer or in a broader sense, referring to the entire 488-metre-long (1601 ft) retaining wall on the western side of the Temple Mount
Just over half the wall's total height, including its 17 courses located below street level dates from the end of the Second Temple period, and is believed to have been begun by Herod the Great
The Western Wall plays an important role in Judaism due to its proximity to the Temple Mount-the traditional site of the Jewish Temple
PRAYER SECTION vs. ENTIRE WALL
The term Western Wall commonly refers to a 187-foot (57 m) exposed section of a much longer retaining wall, built by Herod on the western flank of the Temple Mount
Only when used in this sense is it synonymous with the term Wailing Wall This section faces a large plaza and is set aside for prayer
In its entirety, the western retaining wall of the Herodian Temple Mount complex stretches for 1600 feet (488 m) most of which is hidden behind medieval residential structures built along its length
The Western Wall Tunnels, a ‘time tunnel’ to ancient Jerusalem exposes the visitor to construction, sites and artifacts that shed light on life in this special city during its most glamorous era, the Second Temple period
A tour of the Tunnels unveils hidden sections of the Western Wall
It moves through underground passages, mikves and ancient water trenches, streets from the Second Temple era quarry used to excavate stones for the Kotel and more
The Western Wall’s enormous courses of stone are revealed in full size and magnitude, telling us about the architecture and building practices of different historical eras
There are only two other revealed sections: the southern part of the Wall (see Robinson's Arch area) which measures approximately 80 metres (262 ft) and is separated from the prayer area by just a narrow stretch of archaeological remains and another much shorter section known as the Little Western Wall which is located close to the Iron Gate
The entire western wall functions as a retaining wall, supporting and enclosing the ample substructures built by Herod the Great around 19 BCE
WESTERN WALL-HEIGHT, COURSES, BUILDING STONES
At the Western Wall Plaza-the total height of the Wall from its foundation is estimated at 105 feet (32m) with the above-ground section standing approximately 62 feet (19m) high
The Wall consists of 45 stone courses, 28 of them above ground and 17 underground
The first 7 above-ground layers are from the Herodian period
According to the Hebrew Bible, Solomon's Temple was built atop what is known as the Temple Mount in the 10th century BCE and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE
The Second Temple completed and dedicated in 516 BCE
Around 19 BCE Herod the Great began a massive expansion project on the Temple Mount
In addition to fully rebuilding and enlarging the Temple, he artificially expanded the platform on which it stood doubling it in size
Today's Western Wall formed part of the retaining perimeter wall of this platform
SHA’AREI TESHUVA (GATES OF REPENTANCE) SYNAGOGUE
WESTERN WALL TUNNELS -JERUSALEM
The Sha’arei Teshuva Synagogue, located in the Western Wall Tunnels, is divided into two levels
The upper level houses the Sha’arei Teshuva Synagogue, and the lower level includes a model of the Second Temple and a visitor center
The hall’s floor, made of two intersecting vaults, was uncovered through excavation
Concrete walls were poured underneath the vaults, and the entire structure was raised and reinforced using passive and active stainless-steel anchors
The synagogue is built on an illuminated onyx floor above a concrete ceiling supported by columns and steel beams
WESTERN WALL TUNNELS TOURS
The tour of the Western Wall Tunnels allows visitors to reach the segments of the Wall hidden from view and to touch the original and special western wall stones that tell the story of the Jewish nation
Visitors to the Western Wall Tunnels walk through ancient and fascinating subterranean spaces with exquisite archeological findings such as large stone arches, water pits an ancient water aqueduct that ends at the Strouthion Pool and more