Useful facts + excellent stories about Jerusalem, Temple Mount and David

During the many centuries of exile, Jerusalem symbolized both the glorious past of the Jewish people - and their hopes for the future.

Jerusalem; the site in the fore ground is that of the original David's City. Arabs not only built on the ancient Hebrew names but also on ancient Hebrew ruins. You can see the mixture of Arab frescoed houses ruined and exposing a rich historical layer.

possibly the most infamous mosque in the world

The Dome of the Rock

Here you can see the Moslem Mosque that stands upon the ruins of the Jewish Temples. In recent years there has been a considerable effort to dig into the mount and destroy all evidence of Jewish antiquity on the site. A pityfull,poorly thought out detestable idea, as if by vandalism, destroying the physical antiquetes it will in some way break the historical links, when in reality the Jewish presence makes the mosque unique, has and does enhance the fame of the mount and mosque. That is something to celebrate not vandalise.

The Al Aqsa mosque was originally constructed to prevent the rebuilding of the Jewish temple, Islamic attitudes to Jews go back a long way, today it is one of the main mosques in the Islamic World.

Al Aqsa gave its name to the second Palestinian Intifada which began in 2000 after Israeli politician (now President) Ariel Sharon made a highly controversial visit.

The Al Aqsa is a fully functioning mosque, holding prayers every day for up to 5000 visitors at once. It is also much plainer and of less interest to tourists. Like so much in Jerusalem and Israel, when it comes to history there is some blurring between mythology and reality and the mosque's exact origins are unclear. Many believe it was built on the site of a 6th century Byzantine church; others believe it is an 8th century construct by the Umayyads. Also like much of the region, it was hit several times by earthquakes and what exists today bears little resemblance to the original structure.

Entering the gates of the Mosque complex has never been straightforward. It is dependent on prayer times etc. Needless to say it is almost impossible at the moment.

To the Jews this is the Temple Mount, the holiest of holies where the Torah forbids Jews to tread in case they inadvertently step on the long-hidden tombs and destroyed temples of the ancient Jewish kings. To Muslims it is Haram ash-Sharif, where Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven.

For both religions, it's also purported to be the site where Abraham was instructed by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. Whatever, it's one of the holiest and most hotly disputed pieces of land anywhere on earth.

It is still a central target for fanatic religious groups who want to destroy parts of it and rebuild the Temple. Imaginary scenes? Not really. Recent history taught the Israeli security forces to be prepared for any kind of a lunatic operation.

Underneath the enormous golden dome that can be seen from miles around the city, is the sacred rock where by tradition, Abraham nearly sacrificed his son on God's command, stopped at the last moment again, by G-d's command.

This is the site associated with the story of Prophet Mohammed taken up to heaven. For sure, it is one of the oldest Islamic monuments in the world, built between AD 688 and 691during the Umayyad Empire and the original building was twice the size it is today. It is now considered the third holiest site in Islam, after Mecca and Medina.

The Jewish tradition sees the rock inside the Dome of the Rock as the "Foundation Stone" from which the world initiated. This is also where Abraham almost sacrificed Itzhack. This is the location of the first and second Temples of Jerusalem. The Muslims believe that the Dome of the Rock is built on the place where Muhammad rose to the skies during the Night Journey ('Asraa') from Mekka to the Temple Mount. According to this tradition, Muhammad entered a cave to sleep, and from there he was taken by an angel to meet Moses, Elijah, and Christ. The Muslims believe that the footsteps of Muhammad may be seen in the stone, and that two hairs from his bears are kept in the structure.

For certain, this is one of the most mystical, stirring, inspiring places on Planet Earth.