Wailing Wall (Western Wall)

Western Wall 400
Western Wall (Wailing Wall)
Photo by: nagillum, Creative Commons

The Wailing Wall, also known as Western Wall, is in Jerusalem’s Old City. The wall was built by around 516 BCE and renovated later by Herod the Great around 20 BC.

The Wall measures 18 meters high and it consists of 24 lines of stones belonging to the different ages. Also in the year 1867, 19 lines were discovered in the underground where the lowest line featured the rocks from the Tyropoeon Valley. In the year 1968 two more lines were discovered and it featured seven layers of stone belonging to the Byzantine and Roman periods.

Prayers are held here since 132 CE and is one of the most sacred places for the Jews. The Foundation Stone, the most scared place is easily accessible.

The famous sites here are

Western Wall Plaza
It is the major sacred place for the Jews built by Herod the Great at the complex of Temple Mount. The area here was converted into a place for prayer in the year 1967 when Israel captured the city. At this period the local people offered prayers here and it is still continued to the present day.

Barclay’s Gate
It is a massive gate located to the right and on the top of fillstones. The original gateway is still preserved and it can be easily accessed to the present days.

Largest Stone
It is the largest path of stones that is visible from the southern and western sides of the wall. The west side features four massive stones where the largest stone measures 44 feet long and weighs about 570 tons.

Wilson’s Arch
It is the prayer area for the men that continue from the outdoors. It features a massive arch built by Herod the Great and it is about 75 feet high at the time of construction and in the present days it measures only 25 feet high.

It is the most holy place for the Jews and the Jewish people offers prayers thrice in a day. The prayers are held on mornings, afternoons and evenings and the people tie their forehead with phylacteries and cover themselves with white shawls.

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