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Visitor Information
Car Rentals in Jerusalem
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Jerusalem Attractions
Attractions |
Museums
Ben-Yehuda Street
Jerusalem Israel
This bustling downtown street is the best place to soak up modern Israeli urban culture. A hub for restaurants and cafes, trendy shops and unique hotels, Ben-Yehuda Street could be the Olympics for the sport of people-watching. Named after Eliezer Ben Yehuda, who brought the Hebrew language back from the dead, the street is accented by sidewalk musicians, a myriad of pedestrians and people of all colors.
Bethlehem | The Church of the Nativity
Jerusalem Israel
Of special interest to Christians, Bethlehem is just five miles away from Jerusalem. This farming town is the birthplace of Jesus Christ, and the Church of the Nativity stands regally in Manger Square to mark the site of that momentous occasion. The Church was besieged often throughout history and shows its battle scars, but not without pride. Also in Bethlehem is the tomb of Rachel (biblical wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin) and the Ginosar, a 2,000-year-old fishing boat. If you happen to be in Bethlehem around Christmas time, don’t miss Christmas mass at the Church of the Nativity, regardless of your religion. It will very likely be the most memorable service you have ever attended.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Jerusalem Israel
Near Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was built in the second century at the site where Jesus Christ is believed to have been crucified, buried and resurrected. Originally named Church of the Resurrection, this Byzantine church has frequently been destroyed and restored, but thsi modern Jerusalem attraction has always maintained its mystical aura and, of course, its religious appeal.
Dome of the Rock | Qubbat as-Sakhrâ
Jerusalem Israel
The most defining structure on Jerusalem’s skyline, the Dome of the Rock, is a great golden protruding globule. Built in the late fifth century, this octagonal Early Islamic-style, mosaic-covered temple is the earliest known Muslim building. This Jerusalem attraction gets its name from the massive rock enclosed at its center, the Foundation Stone from which Jews believe the world was created and from which Muslims believe Muhammad ascended to heaven.
Knesset
Jerusalem Israel
This modern-looking Jerusalem building is where Israel’s parliament holds session. Blending the new and the old, the Knesset represents the Israel of today (its state-of-the-art Auditorium and Committee Rooms) and the ancient Jews’ Israel (the synagogue and the giant menorah in the front). Visitors are treated well here: Guided tours are offered in ten languages, and visitors can even watch the legislature in session from Mondays through Wednesdays.
Mount Zion | Har Tzion
Jerusalem Israel
Mount Zion is an important place for both Jews and Christians. Of Christian interest, this is where Jesus Christ celebrated Passover in what would become the Last Supper. Also here is the more recent Dormition Church (built in the early 1900s), where Mary slept before being buried. Of Jewish interest, Mount Zion contains what many believe to be King David’s tomb. In addition, Mount Zion houses the Chamber of the Holocaust, a candlelit memorial room in which to remember the six million victims of the most recent Jewish genocide.
Old City
Jerusalem Israel
Walking through Jerusalem’s Old City feels like walking through the Bible. This walled-in and gated-off square kilometer contains many of the world’s most significant sites like the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Despite the walls, you can traverse through mazelike pathways to the mystical souks and open-air bazaars of the Muslim Quarter, past 2,000-year-old Citadel tower and into ancient Jewish synagogues. Jerusalem's Old City is quartered off into ethnic sections: the Jewish Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Muslim Quarter and the Armenian Quarter. Be sure to have a good chunk of time to explore the Old City. Better yet, stay in one of the many hotels overlooking it.
Western Wall | Ha-Kotel
Jerusalem Israel
Judaism’s most holy place, the Western Wall’s site is perpetually filled with visitors from all walks of life. The Wall, known as Kotel Ha-Ma’aravi in Hebrew, is the only wall of the Second Temple to be left standing when the Romans pillaged it in the year 70. Now, the Western Wall forms an ancient and impressive enclave in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City. Jewish tradition states that if you write a prayer, roll it up and put it between the cracks of the massive blocks that make up the wall, that prayer will be granted. Here, devout Orthodox rabbis sway back and forth as they chant, young Jews have their bar and bat-mitzvah ceremonies, and Reform Jews pay tribute.
Jerusalem attraction reviews by Avital Binshtock.
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