The Birthplace of Christianity, Judaism and Islam - Temple Mount

The Temple Mount is located in the Old City of Jerusalem and is a holy place for Christians, Jews and Muslims. For Christians, the Bible records that this is the place where Jesus suffered, was buried, resurrected, and ascended to heaven, so it is highly valued by Christianity. However, Jews believe that this is the place where the Jewish ancestor Abraham received God's will and sacrificed his son. It is their most sacred place. Muslims believe that this is the place where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the mountain is the third holiest place after the holy city of Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.

The Temple Mount was originally occupied by Judaism, and the First Temple was built on the mountain. Unfortunately, the temple was destroyed by the king of Babylon in 587 BC, and the holy objects placed in the temple, such as the Ark of the Covenant and Noah's Ark, disappeared. Afterwards, King Herod led the Jews to drive out the Babylonians and built a more magnificent Second Temple on the original site. Unfortunately, the Second Temple was also destroyed when the Romans conquered Jerusalem in 70 BC, leaving only a wall, which is today's Wailing Wall. Eventually, Islam conquered Jerusalem and built the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount, which remain to this day.

The Temple Mount once had two temples and was once a holy place for the Jews. However, for the sake of religious peace, the Israeli government agreed that it should now belong to Islam and be managed by the Jerusalem Waqf Fund funded by the Jordanian government. Today, anyone except Jews and Christians can visit the Temple Mount, but the two mosques are only open to Muslims. In addition, do not bring any religious items related to Christianity or Judaism when visiting the Temple Mount, otherwise you may be denied entry. However, your passport must be carried with you at all times in case of emergency.

The Temple Mount is located next to the Western Wall, and the wooden trestle next to it is the passage leading to the Temple Mount. You need to go through security check before entering the Temple Mount. However, since the security check passage is not large and there are always crowds of people wanting to visit the Temple Mount, you must plan your itinerary early. In addition, the opening hours of the Temple Mount are very limited, only more than four hours a day in summer and only more than three hours in winter, so be sure to go early to avoid a wasted trip.

Tickets: Free admission
Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday: 7:30am to 11:00pm, 1:30pm to 2:30pm (summer), 7:30am to 10am, 12:30pm to 1:30pm (winter), closed on Friday and Saturday

Post by 旅策谷 Flyplan | Oct 8, 2022