Inhabited for thousands of years, this Middle Eastern city has survived a dozen attacks that left it in ruins and dozens of military sites by invading peoples, as well as being in the hands of enemies on dozens of occasions.
Over the course of its very long history it became a sacred place for Jewish, Christian and Muslim peoples. Since 1950 it has been the capital of the State of Israel and a pilgrimage center for believers of the three religions.
It has approximately 850,000 inhabitants, spread over 125 km2, and its streets and buildings are located in the Judean Mountains, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea.
The Holy Cityas is known throughout the world, Jerusalem on the map full of historyit is quite safe for tourism, although, as of October 2023, it is at the center of the new armed conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Which city is considered sacred by Christianity, Judaism and Islam?
The first inhabitants of the region They would have settled there around the 5th millennium BC
However, it was not until 1004 BC, when King David of Israel and Judea declared it the capital of the kingdom and elevated the importance of that city that it would become the immortal Jerusalem.
His son, King Solomon, built the Great Temple, which protected the Ark of the Covenant and the laws that God gave to Moses. This first Great Temple was destroyed and replaced by a similar one by Herod the Great.
The Roman Empire invaded Judea in 64 BC and two years later the troops of Emperor Titus devastated the city. In this way, of the Great Temple, a sacred place for Judaism, only the Wailing Wall remains.
In 300, Emperor Constantine allowed Christianity and He sent his mother, Helena, to the Middle East to find the Cross of Jesus Christ.
Then, Helen found evidence of the whereabouts of Mount Calvary, or Golgotha, where Jesus’ crucifixion had occurred some 300 years earlier. There, in the year 326, she ordered the construction of a temple, origin of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, which houses the relics of Jesus Christ.
After Mecca and Medina, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem It is the third holy site of Islam. The great temple, built in the 7th century, during Muslim rule of the city, protects the Foundation Stone, the place where Muhammad ascended to heaven.
After the Six-Day War (1967), Israel occupied Jerusalem, the eastern sector of which (Old City) has since been claimed by the Palestinians. Meanwhile, Israel considers it its eternal capital, which has produced numerous conflicts that are still far from being resolved.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.