Western Wall Plaza - Jerusalem
Western Wall Today
The Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem is located directly opposite of the Western Wall of the Old City. Sometimes, it is also called the Wailing Wall. In Hebrew it’s name is Kotel, in Arabic it is called al-Buraq Wall. This site is accessible through the Jewish Quarter or the Dung Gate after passing security screenings. A door from Suq el-Qatanin Street provides access from the Old City, men and women have separate entrances in order to visit this site.
A walkway is built over the plaza to allow access to the Temple Mount. Muslims can access Temple Mount area from other gates as well. Non Muslims and tourists use a bridge to visit the Temple Mount. This bridge which spans over the Western Wall Plaza.
This section of the wall is about 57m in length and it dates from the 19 BC. Many people will write their prayers and then leave them inside the cracks of the wall in a belief that their prayers would be answered.
History
Solomon’s Temple (the First Temple) was built atop of what is known as the Temple Mount today, in the 10th century BC. Herod rebuilt the Temple but it was destroyed by the Romans, along with the rest of Jerusalem in 70 CE. When the Romans defeated a Jewish revolt in 135 AD, they banned the Jews from Jerusalem but Constantine I allowed them to visit the city once a month. Jews would visit Jerusalem on the ninth day of the month of Av, to lament the loss of the Temple at the wall.
In the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire conquered Jerusalem from the Mamluks of Egypt. They allowed the Jews from Spain to settle here, who were being prosecuted by the Catholic monarchs.
