Temple Mount, Jerusalem (must see)

Known as Al-Haram ash-Sharif ("the Noble Sanctuary") to Muslims, this expansive rectangular esplanade in the southeastern Old City has been a central point of Jerusalem for millennia. According to both Jewish and Muslim traditions, it is the site where Abraham offered his son as a sacrifice to God. Additionally, it is traditionally believed to have housed the First Temple, constructed by Solomon in the 10th century BC and destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BC. The site was later the location of the Second Temple that succeeded it.

Herod the Great significantly expanded the complex in the 1st century BC, enlarging the Inner Temple and creating the Temple platform by constructing four walls around a natural hill and filling them in. It was from the Second Temple that Jesus is said to have expelled the merchants and moneychangers; however, it was ultimately destroyed by the Romans following a protracted siege of Jerusalem in AD 70, marking the end of the Jewish Revolt. According to historian Josephus, the city was ravaged by murder, famine, and cannibalism.

Although the Dome of the Rock is the most prominent feature on the Temple Mount today, the site encompasses a wealth of other architectural marvels from the Omayyad, Ayyubid, Mameluke, and Ottoman eras, including the Grammar College and numerous madrasas. Visitors should note that certain areas are restricted, particularly the southern portion south of the Gate of the Tribes and the eastern section east of Al-Aqsa. Non-Muslims are only permitted to enter the Temple Mount through Moors' Gate and cannot access the Dome of the Rock and the El-Aqsa Mosque without a guide.