Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. However, since nothing here is simple, it is disputed, as among other grievances the Palestinians claim its Eastern part and would like to make it the capital of an independent state. Jerusalem walled old city is possibly the most interesting square kilometer in the world. No other place can match its density of historically or religiously significant sites. It contains the holiest Jewish site (the Western Wall, the only remnant of the former Second Temple, one of the greatest buildings in the Ancient world, destroyed by the Romans in AD 70), the central shrine of Christianity (the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, site of the crucifixion, burial, and resurection of Jesus), as well as the third-holiest Muslim site (Haram esh-Sharif or Temple Mount, from where the Prophet rose to heaven in AD 620). Reflecting this complexity, the old city is divided in five quarters, Armenian, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and the Temple Mount (which is holy to the three monotheist religions). If this was not enough, linking all those sites is an intricate maze of narrow streets, alleys, archways, and passages, full of noise, congestion, vendors, and markets. The Old City of Jerusalem is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
