Jerusalem (Arabic al-Quds) largest city in the West Bank , situated between the
Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea . Jerusalem is a holy city for the world's
major religions: Islam, and Christianity . In 1948 Jerusalem was under Israel
occupation (West Jerusalem) , and Jordan controlled the other part of Jerusalem
(East Jerusalem) including the Old City. In 1967 Israel occupied East Jerusalem
in the Six-Day War, Since then , both west and east Jerusalem has been under
Israeli occupation.
Points of Interest Jerusalem's Old City is divided into Muslim, Armenian,
Christian and Jewish sections and is enclosed by walls with gates . The
Christian section , in the northwest, contains the New Gate, shares the Jaffa
Gate with the Armenian section on the southwest, and the Damascus Gate with the
Muslim section on the north. The Muslim section, in the northeastern portion of
the Old City , contains Herod's Gate, Saint Stephen's Gate, and the Golden Gate
, east of which is located the Mount of Olives and the garden of Gethsemane.
The Jewish section, occupying the southeastern portion, contains the Zion Gate ,
south of which is Mount Zion was created in place of an Islamic area called
Harat Al-Shurafa (or Harat al-Magarbah) after the Israeli occupation in 1967
(all the houses and the building in Harat al-Magarbah were deomlished by Israeli
forces and new houses for Jeiwsh setllers were build). It also contains Dung
Gate. Around the Old City is the New City, developed since the middle of the
19th century. The population of Jerusalem (1990 estimate) is 524,500.
The Old City is sacred to Christians as the site where Jesus Christ spent his
last days on earth, and it is sacred to Muslims as the site of the ascent into
heaven of the Prophet Muhammad. Notable structures include the Christian Church
of the Holy Sepulcher, built over the 4th-century , the Muslim Dome of the Rock,
built upon the site where Muhammad have ascended to heaven , the Mosque of Al
Aqsa one of Islam's most sacred shrines; and the Citadel, a 14th-century
structure on the site of Herod's fortress.
