Famous Architecture of Jerusalem Walking Tour, Jerusalem
Famous Architecture of Jerusalem Walking Tour
Guide Location: Israel » Jerusalem
Guide Type: Self-guided city tour
# of Attractions: 7
Tour Duration: 4 hour(s)
Transportation Mode: by foot
Travel Distance: 7.5 km
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Berthold Werner
Author: vickyc
Traditionally, Jerusalem was said to be the center of the universe. It is a very old city with many ancient buildings, with architecture dating back to Roman times and later reflecting both European and Islamic influences. The following self-guided tour will take you to the most interesting architectural highlights of Jerusalem.
Tour Stops and Attractions
Oriental House
1) Oriental House
Oriental House is the official Palestinian Guest House situated in East Jerusalem. It is in this mansion, built in 1897, that VIPs were accosted when coming to Jerusalem.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Magister
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
2) Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a Christian church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. The site is venerated by many Christians as Golgotha, where the New Testament says that Jesus was crucified, and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Today it also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, while control of the building is shared between several Christian churches and secular entities in complicated arrangements essentially unchanged for centuries.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and fr:Utilisater:Djampa
Dome of the Rock
3) Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine and major landmark located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was completed in 691-692, making it the oldest existing Islamic building in the world. The site's significance stems from the religious beliefs regarding the rock, known as the Foundation Stone, at its heart. The Dome is in the shape of a Byzantine martyrium, a structure intended for the housing and veneration of saintly relics, and is an excellent example of middle Byzantine art. The interior of the dome is lavishly decorated with mosaic, faience and marble, much of which was added several centuries after its completion. It also contains Qur'anic inscriptions.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Giovanni
Tower of David
4) Tower of David
The Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem was opened in 1989 by the Jerusalem Foundation. Located in a series of chambers in the original citadel, the museum includes a courtyard which contains archeological ruins dating back 2,700 years. The exhibits depict 4,000 years of Jerusalem's history, from its beginnings as a Canaanite city to modern times. Using maps, videotapes, holograms, drawings and models, the exhibit rooms each depict Jerusalem under its various rulers. Visitors may also ascend to the ramparts, which command a 360-degree view of the Old City and New City of Jerusalem.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and EdoM
Great Synagogue
5) Great Synagogue
The Great Synagogue of Jerusalem is located at 58 King George Street, Jerusalem, Israel. The main sponsor for construction of the new synagogue was Sir Isaac Wolfson, a Jewish philanthropist form Britain. The Wolfson family consecrated the synagogue in the memory of the six million Jews who perished in the holocaust and to the fallen soldiers of Israel Defense Forces. The style of the building was modeled on the Jewish Temple which once stood in Jerusalem. The sanctuary seats 850 men and 550 women. A comprehensive private collection of mezuzah cases is on show inside the lobby.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Ariel Horowitz
Knesset Building
6) Knesset Building
The Knesset represents the legislature of Israel. It is one of the most important government buildings. The gate of the Knesset building was made by sculptor David Palombo. There are tours to this buildings in different languages, but visitors must have a passport. There you can see mosaics and wall hangings designed by the famous Surrealist artist, Marc Chagall.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Joshua Paquin
The Supreme Court of Israel
7) The Supreme Court of Israel
The building of the Supreme Court of Israel is a great architectural accomplishment. It is designed in what one could call a quasi-baroque style and differs from the rest of the traditional architecture of the city. It was called "Israel's finest public building." The design is very complex and absolutely unusual. It even has a pyramid.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Djampa
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