Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Jerusalem is composed of the word roots Jeru (city) and Salem (peace), meaning "City of Peace." It is a centrally located city in the State of Palestine and a world-renowned ancient city. Jerusalem is a historic city in the Near East Levant region, geographically situated in the Judaean Mountains, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea, and is revered as a holy city by three major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Since the construction of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem in the 10th century BCE, the city has been the center of Jewish faith and its most sacred city. The remnant of the ancient temple, the Western Wall, remains the holiest site in Judaism. Christians also hold Jerusalem in high regard, as according to the Bible, it is the place where Jesus was crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended to heaven. Islam also ranks Jerusalem as the third holiest site after Mecca and Medina, in commemoration of Muhammad's Night Journey and Ascension, and built two mosques on the Temple Mount — the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock — to honor this sacred event. Today, Jerusalem is a city of sharp contrasts, where people of different cultures, religions, ethnicities, and social classes coexist within the same urban space; the eastern and western parts of the city are particularly distinct, with vastly different levels of development.