P463 - Israel - The Western Wall and the Dome of Rock

The Western Wall and the Dome of Rock, Jerusalem, Israel




The Western Wall, sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall or simply the Kotel, and as al-Buraaq Wall in Arabic, is an important Jewish religious site located in the Old City of Jerusalem. Just over half the wall, including its 17 courses located below street level, dates from the end of the Second Temple period, being constructed around 19 BCE by Herod the Great. The remaining layers were added from the 7th century onwards.

The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine and major landmark located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest existing Islamic building in the world. The site's significance stems from the religious beliefs regarding the rock, known as the Foundation Stone, at its heart.

西墙，位于耶路撒冷老城的宗教圣地圣殿山，犹太教耶路撒冷第二圣殿残存的西部外墙，48米长，18米高（约6层楼高度），是犹太教最重要的圣地。传说耶路撒冷圣殿被烧毁时，六位天使曾经坐在圣殿的一面墙上哭泣，泪水粘结石缝，故而大墙永远不倒。又犹太人在此为圣殿的被毁而恸哭，因此，它又称哭墙，但这一名称已逐渐较少使用。

由于现在的西墙事实上成为一座露天犹太会堂，所以按照犹太教的传统隔成男女两个部分。男性必须戴上名为“卡巴”的圆形小帽才可接近西墙。

圆顶清真寺是一个伊斯兰教圣地，穆斯林称为“Noble Sanctuary”；犹太人和基督徒称为「Har ha-Bayit」（希伯来语:הר הבית）或圣殿山）；它一直是耶路撒冷最著名的标志之一。687年到691年，由第9任哈里发阿卜杜勒-馬利克·本·馬爾萬·本·哈卡姆建造。数百年来，欧洲游客称之为「奥马尔清真寺」。穆斯林相信圆顶清真寺中间的岩石就是穆罕默德夜行登霄，和天使加百列一起，到天堂见到真主的地方。

References sources : wikipedia