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Ground zero in the Arab/Israeli debate - the Western Wall and Temple Mount

Continuing on our trip through Israel and Jordan, I will discuss today the most important piece of architecture in Israel - the Western Wall.  For Jews, this wall, the only remnant of the Second Temple from the time of Herod the Great, is the holiest site in the world.  For jews, it is a must when coming here to come and pray at the Western Wall.

The Western Wall (also called the Kotel) is open twenty four hours a day and there are almost always people there praying.  This is a very serious place, and you are expected to be respectful.  Dress must be appropriate and for men the head must be covered (most women also cover their heads as well - but with a scarf or bonnet instead of a kippah).  While I was there, I saw a number of presumed Christian approach the wall without a head covering.  Please, if you feel uncomfortable covering your head, don’t approach the wall.  Not wearing a head covering is considered extremely offensive.  Note that there are individuals from which you can rent scarves and kippot.

Also note that, as the Western Wall is considered to be an orthodox synagogue, there are separate sections for men and women to pray.  Men are not allowed in the women’s section and vice versa.

The Western Wall is considered the greatest synagogue in the world, and many people write requests on small pieces of paper and place them between the stones.  While I am not a religious person, I must admit that seeing this site did have its effect on me.

For those not interested in religion, this wall also has historical and political meaning.  This is ground zero in the Israeli/Arab debate - as on top of the wall is built the Temple Mount.  To Arabs, this is the third holiest site in the world.  To jews, the Temple Mount is considered a desecration.  With strong opinions and obstinacy on either side, a solution in our lifetimes seems unlikely.

Historically, the Western Wall is the only thing that remains from the Second Temple that was destroyed in the year 66 by the romans.  If you go to the Israel Museum - on the outskirts of Jerusalem - you can see a model of what ancient Jerusalem looked like, complete with the Second Temple.

Interestingly, my guide book had several pages discussing the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and one paragraph on the Western Wall, which I found rather strange given its importance.  Most of the Western Wall is actually below ground and there are tours available that take you down to see the base of the wall.  Unfortunately they get booked up quickly and we did not find the time to go.  However, you can get a view of how far down the wall goes by entering the prayer book section on the left.  I’m not sure if the women’s section has this, but in the men’s section there are windows that let you see how far down it goes.

This is a poorly taken picture of it - the lighting was very low and obviously I’m not going to bring a tripod into a prayer room.

My wife mentioned that she didn’t remember seeing this on the women’s side.  In the room where this was taken, there are a number of chairs and tons of prayer books.  This is the only picture I took, as I did not want to bother the people praying.

When you go to the Western Wall, you will notice an inordinate number of beggars.  The reason for this is it is custom to give money to the poor when visiting the Western Wall.  Whenever someone in our family goes, everyone usually gives him/her a few dollars to give to people there.  Obviously the beggars there are well aware of this.  While many keep their distance, a number of them can be quite intrusive and a security guard had to pull one away from me while I was praying.

As I like to understand all religions, against the wishes of my wife’s family I went to visit the Temple Mount.  This area is forbidden for Israelis and their is a passport check.  The entrance is up a windy ramp next to the Western Wall.  For non-Muslims, this is the only entrance.  All other entrances are for Muslims only and are guarded by non-humored heavily armed Israeli soldiers.  There is a large sign upon entering that it is against Jewish law to go there.  So I guess I wound up breaking the law.

I set out early in the morning as I wanted to get the best possible light.  I also hoped to be able to get shots without people in them.  The guards at the check took apart my camera bag, but the only thing they were concerned with was a kippah I had accidentally placed there.  The guard mentioned that no prayer was to be done there - it is illegal not just in the religious sense, but also in the jail sense.  I nodded and tucked the kippah back into the bag where I would not accidentally open it.

When I got up there, as predicted the site was very sparse.

I tried to gain access to the Dome of the Rock, but there were two burly Palestinians who explained that entry was forbidden for non-Muslims.  I noticed several tours also rejected - so I suspect this is not always the case.  I later found out that entrance depends on a number of factors - such as who is guarding it that day.  Often a bit of money will gain entry, but these guys weren’t letting anyone in that day.  Still, the site was very beautiful from the outside.  I didn’t try to get inside as I don’t like people offending my culture, so I didn’t want to offend theirs.

While I was up there, a man (presumably Arab) came up to me and asked me whether this was the first time I had visited the Temple Mount.  I said it was to which he responded - “thank you for visiting and enjoy your stay”.  This area has been known for some very violent acts and for that reason I presume it gets so few visitors.  This is a shame, as the area has tremendous historical importance.

This is the Al Aqsa Mosque - where the latest infantada uprising began.  Several years ago, and Israeli politician came to the Temple Mount to pray.  Arabs were outraged and violent protests broke out.  On this day it was a bit more peaceful.  Again, I didn’t try to gain entry.

Well, that is enough for today’s journey.  We’ll spend one more day in Jerusalem - visiting sights such as the Citadel and the City of King David, then we’ll head to the Dead Sea, Masada, and Qumran.

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Tags: al aqsa, dome of the rock, israel, jerusalem, kotel, photography, religion, second temple, temple mount, Travel, western wall