Fotos

"Western Wall (Ha-Kotel in Hebrew) is Judaism's holiest site, and the plaza in front of it is a permanent place of worship. The wall is part of the retaining wall of the Temple Mount and was built by Herod the Great during his expansion of the Temple enclosure. The huge, lower stones are Herodian, while those higher up date from early Islamic times.

During the Ottoman period, the wall became where Jews came to lament the destruction of the Second Temple. For this reason it was for centuries known as the Wailing Wall. Houses covered most of the what's now the Western Wall Plaza until relatively recently. When the Israelis gained control of the Old City after the 1967 war, they leveled the neighboring Arab district. Non-Jews can approach the wall provided they dress appropriately and cover their heads." Previous text from the following book: Eyewitness Travel Jerusalem Israel, Petra & Sinai.