[OctaviusJ]Welcome to Israel - PART 1 - Jerusalem.

Day 1,549, 18:28 • Published in Croatia Israel • by Octavius Julius

Welcome to Israel : Part 1 – Jerusalem

Pedaricinas, this article is for the international community as a whole.


Lately there's been a very nice tradition of eCitizens sharing the beauty of their rl countries. Apart from the fact that it is important to know and be familiar with other countries it is also a good way of strengthening ties with your eFriends and getting to know them through their rl countries.

I have decided to continue this tradition and in the next few articles I will present you the beauty of Israel, starting with the Holy City of Jerusalem.

(Before I start, I will kindly ask all my friends to keep this article politics free as this kind of article might be pretty sensitive. I will refrain from sharing my political view and I expect you to be mature enough and do the same.


Panoramic view of Jerusalem – new and old.

A few facts first,

Jeruslaem is currently inhabited by 780k Israelites of all religions, including immigrants. The city is considered holy by the three major monotheistic religions as all of them have sites holy to them inside the city, mostly located around the Temple Mount and the old city. During 1981, the old city was announced as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.


Ancient drawing/map of the Old City of Jerusalem.


Map of the World, presenting Jerusalem as the center of it. 16th Century

Religious Sites –

Temple Mount – The Wailing Wall

The Temple Mount is located exactly in the Center of Jerusalem. Since the 1st Century BE it is covered and held by a huge stone platform, built by King Hordus, who was a puppet king of the Roman Empire. The Platform is supported by four heavy walls, one of them being the famous Wailing Wall or aka the Western Wall, the holiest jewish site.


The Wailing Wall


Former POTUS visiting the Wailing Wall

The Wailing Wall holds historical, religious and national importance to the jewish people, being the most viewable part of the Holy Temple and basically the closest to it which they can approach due to religious reasons.

The Upper Platform – Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

The Upper Platform is basically a big platform filled with various Mosque's, the most known and important is the Al Aqsa Mosque.

Al Aqsa basically means the 'farthest mosque'. It is considered the 3rd holiest site in Islam and the Mosque itself with the Golden Dome are a vital part of the skyline of Jerusalem.


Map of the Temple Mount


The Dome


The Al Aqsa Mosque

Via Dolorosa

Via Dolorosa or aka The Path of Suffering/Pain is according to the Christian belief the path Jesus went through before being crucified. As many centuries have passed since the original march nowadays the Path is taken more to have empathy with the suffering rather than take an authentically similar path to the path Jesus was taken through.

A few pictures of the stations along the Via Dolorosa


The whole path


9th Station – The Holy Sepulcher


2nd Station – The Monastery of Flagellation


The point where Jesus was crucified

Modern Day Jerusalem – The String Bridge

The String Bridge is located at the entrance to the city of Jerusalem, its rare and unique view was given to him by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. It is used by the Jerusalem Light Rail, a very popular and modern transport type.


The String Bridge at night

Modern Day Jerusalem - Teddy Stadium

The Teddy Stadium (Named after the former Mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Colk) is home to Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Jerusalem football teams. Its current capacity is 21k yet currently there are major plans to enlarge it and add another 10k seats. Even though its not the most modern stadium in Israel it is known as a very 'comfort' arena for its home teams due to its acoustic.


Teddy Stadium [/im]

Modern Day Jerusalem – The Supreme Court of Israel

The New York Times – "Israel's finest public building".

The building is a beautiful mix of old and new alike. It combines elements from many centuries and of all religions. Many say its impossible to describe the whole building so I will let the pictures do the talking.


A view from above


The Pyramid


Another view

And this is where our tour comes to an end. Should you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me via a pm (might take me a few days to answer as I'm on a two click mode) or on IRC (query OctaviusJ) @ #eIsrael.

Next up, the city of Haifa!