Jerusalem

INTRO
Jerusalem The Perfect City The Kingdom of Judah A religious and spiritual centre for thousands of people, Jerusalem is a holy place for Jews, Muslims and Catholics. It is also a city of great historical importance, which hides many ancient sights and fascinating places to be discovered. The Holy City is just one of the names which adorned this unusual place. This mysterious city makes people capitvated with the secrets it keeps.

City Profile
City: Jerusalem
Country: Israel
Area: 126 km2
Population: 732,100 (2007)
Districts: Jerusalem
Governement: City
Language: Hebrew (Yerushalaim) and Arabic

LOCATION
31° 47' N - 35° 13' E The location of Jerusalem is really impressive. It lies between two seas with effective names - the northern part of Dead Sea and Mediterranean Sea. The city is situated in the Judean Mountains, surrounded by valleys. Since the city is situaded only 60 km from Tel Aviv another geographical start point it is easy to acces.

TIME TO VISIT
Jerusalem is characterised by a Mediterranean climate hot, dry summers and wet, cold winters. Temperatures significantly vary from day to night and evenings are typically fresh even in summer. With an average temperature of 12°C during the winter months and 29°C in the summer, Jerusalem is best to be visited during spring and autumn, when the summer days are not so warm and the winter is far away. Remember that during Jewish holidays the whole city is full of pilgrims and the prices become double.

POPULATION
There are approximately 732,100 residents in Jerusalem, which is 10% of the total number of the countrys inhabitants. The majority of the population are Jews, and immigrants come mostly from Soviet Union, USA, Canada, France and Ethiopia. The official language is Hebrew, but Arabic and English can also be heard.

DISTRICTS
Jerusalem can be divided up into a few districts:

The Old City - The walled area of Jerusalem is called Old City and it had consituted the whole city until 1860. The Old City is divided into four areas of different size, which are named according to the people living there The Christian Quarter, The Armenian Quarter, The Muslim Quarter and of course the Jewish Quarter.. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Jerusalem2.html
West Jerusalem also known as New Jerusalem is the modern commercial heart of the city. Currently it fors the focus for development in the capital. http://wikitravel.org/en/Jerusalem/West
East Jerusalem is home to most of Jerusalem's Arab population. http://wikitravel.org/en/Jerusalem/East
Chareidi Jerusalem is inhabited largely by ultra-Orthodox Jewish people. http://wikitravel.org/en/Jerusalem/Chareidi
Ein Kerem is a village suburb on the outskirts of West Jerusalem surrounded by piqturesque hills grown with olive and cypress trees, which is a home to artists and sculptors who have opened numerous galleries in the village. http://wikitravel.org/en/Jerusalem/Ein_Kerem
Talpiot is a largely industrial suburb to the south of Jerusalem. http://wikitravel.org/en/Talpiot

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS
Jerusalem is one of the world's first travel destinations. That is why the virtual tour is never enough. There are so many sacred and holy sites that it is better to have some idea where exactly is the starting point. Those, who appreciate the culture and the arts, museums, restaurants and hotels, will be captivated by this world's famous city.

Temple Mount - one of the most important places for Jews which is believed to be the former site of the two Jerusalem temples demolished in the past. It would be also the site of the third temple which would be built there when Messiah comes. There are also two Muslim temples - the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Thats why the Mount is one of the focal points in Jewish-Arab conflict.
The Kotel (the Western Wall) situated in the Old City of Jerusalem is the most hallowed site in Judaism. The Western Walls is a place for constant prayer, meditation, and inspiration as the last remaining fragment of the Second Temple.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been the place of pilgrimages since the 4th century. It is important for Christians all over the world as it stoods on the site of the Hill of Calvary where Jesus was buried. Constructed in the Middle Ages, it underwent many restorations and alternations which makes it quite an eclectic building.
The Dome of the Rock - this holy Muslim shrine is one of the best-known landmarks of Jerusalem. Covered with a great golden dome, the temple was erected in the 7th century which makes it the oldest Islamic shrine in the world.
Al-Aqsa Mosque - is one of the most important Muslim temples. Built in the 7th century, together with the Dome of the Rock, it is the largest temple in Jerusalem which can accommodate up to 30 thousand people.
The Tower of Dawid or so called Jerusalems citadel is a remnant of Turkish heritage in Jerusalem. The mediaeval fortress stands on the place of earlier palace of Herod the Great.
The Israel Museum there is the Art Wing and Art Garden where you can get acquainted with the history of twentieth-century sculpture from all around the world. There is also Archaeological Department, Judaica Department and Youth Wing.
The Yad Vashem Museum is the memorial musuem that commemorates the victims of Holocaust. The museum honours the non-Jews which saved people during the Shoah with the label of the Righteous Among the Nations.
The Shuk - Jerusalem's main food market which is in Jaffa Road

AIRPORT

Ben-Gurion Airport The most convinient way to reach Jerusalem is by airplane as many companies offer charter flights and sheduled flights. Ben-Gurion Airport is located 12 miles (20 km) southeast of Tel Aviv and 30 miles (50 km) west of Jerusalem. There is convenient trasportation from the airport to both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem 24 hours a day. - Bus transportation from the Airport Taxi (40-50 USD) and shared taxi (15 USD per person) The train operates to Southern Jerusalem with 2 stops Jerusalem Malha and the Zoo. Rent-a-car

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
Jerusalem offers several efficient ways of travelling around the city:

Bus and coach services, costing between five and ten ILS. Buses travel to all parts of the city.
Car rental services are the easiest option for remote journeys.
A small train network offers one main route. It is a very economical way of travelling there.
Sheruts', or share taxis, are a common way to travel over the weekend.

HISTORY
The beginnings of Jerusalem date back to 3 thousand years BC. Most probably these area was conqured by King David from the Jebusites in the 11 century BC and claimed it his capital. His son Solomon built the First Temple, making Jerusalem the spiritual centre of the Jewish people. In Changing hands several times, Jerusalem was under Babylonian, Roman and eventually Muslim rule. In 1099 the crusade of European knights took over the territory of Jerusalem. Christian reign of the city continued approximately 100 years until the Muslims recaptured Jerusalem. Ruling the city for more than one thousand years, the Muslims have also had a very strong spiritual influence on the city. Jerusalem is the site of the holiest of Muslim shrines, The Dome of the Rock. Despite this fact, the city was never a Muslim capital, having been ruled from the capitals of Damascus, Baghdad, Cairo, and Constantinople.

CITY LINKS

Jerusalem Post: http://www.jpost.com/
Jerusalem WEBSITE:http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_main/defaultnew.asp?lng=2
Interesting Places in Jerusalem: http://www.md.huji.ac.il/vjt/

UNIVERSITY LINKS

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem http://www.chula.ac.th/chula/en/index.html
Jewish Virtual Library http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/index.html