Jerusalem - The Holiest City In The World

                      WORLD'S HOLIEST CITY-JERUSALEM

• Jerusalem is a Middle-Eastern city in Israel. Jerusalem was considered the center of the world, where God resided.

• More than 5,000 years old and one of the most sacred epicenter of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The city is rich with holy sites, including the biblical locations of Bethlehem, Nazareth, and the Sea of Galilee.

one-square-kilometer walled area is central to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

                 

• The Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel, but it is yet to be officially recognized internationally.

• According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 78 per cent of the three million tourists who visited Israel in 2016 went to Jerusalem.

                                     HOLY SITES IN JERUSALEM

   Church of the Holy Sepulchre

• The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is Located at the heart of old City of Jerusalem.

  

  Church of the Holy Sepulchre

  
  

• According to traditions dating back to the fourth century, it contains the two holiest sites in Christianity: the site where Jesus was crucified, at a place known as Calvary or Golgotha, and Jesus's empty tomb, where he is believed by Christians to have been buried and resurrected.

• From the church, the sacred route of Via Dolorosa (the road Jesus is said to have walked to his crucifixion site) leads to the Mount of Olives, where Mary's Tomb, the Church of Maria Magdalene, the Tomb of Zechariah, the Church of All Nations, and the Garden of Gethsemane are located.

• This church is one of the holiest places on earth for Christians.

    Dome of the Rock

Dome of the Rock

 

• The Dome of the Rock makes this city the third holiest place for Muslims.

• Prophet Muhammad is believed by Muslims to be a messenger of God. He reformed the perspective that God should be worshiped through prayer, reciting God's messages and only worshiping God. Muhammad declared himself to be the last prophet of the Judaic-Christian Religions and he founded a third Abrahamic religion: Islam.

    

• The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic sacred shrine in Jerusalem, built on the Temple Mount. It is believed this is where Muhammad ascended into heaven and was given the second pillar of Islam, to pray five times a day, from Allah, which is still used today. The Dome of the Rock is influenced by Byzantine Christian architecture, being of a Central Dome Plan.

• Prophet Muhammad is believed to have been taken by the miraculous steed Buraq to visit Jerusalem, where he prayed, and then to visit heaven, in a single night in the year 610

     The Temple Mount

• The Temple Mount is Sacred to three religions and also known as Haram Al-Sharif, the Temple Mount is an ancient elevated platform in the southeastern corner of the Old City. For Muslims, the site’s principal draws are the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, which is said to house the rock from which the prophet Mohammed took his night journey into heaven.
  
  
  

• For the Jewish community, the Temple Mount marks the location of the First Temple, while for Christians, it’s known as the spot where Jesus challenged authorities, partly leading to his crucifixion.

    Mount Zion

• The Zion Gate, which connects the Old City to Mount Zion, is an important site for the Jewish and Christian faiths. Here you can find the Tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper, where Jesus is said to have had his final meal.

The Last Supper

• Other important Mount Zion locations include Dormition Abbey, where Catholics believe the Virgin Mary fell into eternal sleep, and the Tombs of the Prophets, which Judaism identifies as the tombs of the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Importance for Muslims 

• Jerusalem is considered a sacred site in Islamic tradition, along with Mecca and Medina. Islamic tradition holds that previous prophets were associated with the city, and that the Islamic prophet Muhammad visited the city on a nocturnal journey (Isra and Mi'raj). Due to such significance, it was the first Qibla (direction of prayer) for Muslims and the prophet Muhammad designated the Al-Aqsa for pilgrimage.

• Jerusalem is not directly mentioned by name in the Qur'an, nor is it mentioned by its Arabic translation . However, the Qur'anic verse (17:1) is interpreted by Islamic tafsirs (commentaries) as referring to this journey, with the term "the farthest Mosque" (al-masjid al-Aqsa) referring to the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem, where the mosque stands

Importance for Jews 

• Jerusalem has been the holiest city in Judaism and the ancestral and spiritual homeland of the Jewish people since the 10th century BCE. During classical antiquity, Jerusalem was considered the center of the world, where God resided. The city of Jerusalem is given special status in Jewish religious law.