Many mosques, churches, minarets, monasteries, charity houses, schools, and religious courts, spread over the slopes of Al-Tur mountain and inside the walls of the old city of Jerusalem. The most distinctive sites are Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of Rock, Omar Mosque, the Church of Gethsemane, the Church of Holy Sepulchre, and Al-Boraq wall (name of the creature on which Prophet Mohammad made his ascension to heaven), which is called by Jews the “Wailing Wall”.
The city which has embraced the three heavenly messages is dependent on tourism as the main source of income for Jerusalemites.
Al-Aqsa Mosque: It is situated in the south-side of the old city, surrounded from the south and east by Saloman wall, built by the Ottomans, and from the north and west by old buildings of an Islamic pattern established during the Mamelukes and Ayyobian rules. The Mosque is mentioned in the Quran (Muslim holy book) and Mohammad’s Haddith (deeds or behavior as well as teachings Prophet Mohammad and his companions).
The Dome of the Rock: It has special segnificance to the Muslims, in that it is the place where prophet Mohammad ascended to heaven. It is a unique artistic piece of Islamic architecture built by the Ummayad Caliph Abdul Malek Ibn Marwan during 65 Hijra (the Muslim calendar year starting when Mohammad emigrated from Mecca to Madina in Saudi Arabia to spread the message of Islam to the world) equivalent to 684 A.D.
The Muslim caliph earmarked the taxes levied from Egypt in seven years to build the Dome of the Rock in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque about 4 meters above the surrounding Mastabas (courtyards).
Church of Holy Sepulchre: The church was built by Queen Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine in 335 A.D.
Christian pilgrims come from all over the world to pay homage to this sacred shrine.
Other call it the church of Center of the world, and hosts annually, the celebrations of ChristmaandEaster .
The Church of Gethsemane: Church of all Nations. Worldwide Christian generosity contributo the erection of this church; hence its modern name - “Church of All Nations”. It was here where Jesus and his disciples concealed themselves before being led prisoner from the garden to Jerusalem .
Al-Boraq Wall: It is part of the exterior facade of the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque. “Al-Boraq” creature which carried Mohammad during his ascension to heaven was tied to this wall .
Some Orthodox religious Jews consider it as a holy place for them, and claim that the wall is part of their temple which all historic studies and archeological excavations have failed to find any proof for such a claim .
In order to undermine the foundations of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Israeli government has convert it into a religious shrine for jews, prohibiting non Jews to enter it, except for a limited number of tourists .