Jerusalem,
without
doubt,
is
the
jewel
in
the
Israeli
tourism
crown.
From
a
tiny
Canaanite
city
4000
years
ago
to
the
capital
city
of
the
Kingdom
of
Judah
2700
years
ago,
to
the
present
metropolitan
capital
of
the
state
of
Israel
with
more
than
850,000
inhabitants
and
growing,
Jerusalem
is
a
complex
city.
Holy
and
significant
for
so
many
people
around
the
world,
a
place
of
conflicts
and
tension,
but
still,
a
pleasant,
spiritual,
exciting,
instructive,
welcoming,
and
relatively
safe
place
to
visit.
Jerusalem
first
mentioned
in
Egyptian
scripts
from
the
19th
century
BCE
as
one
of
the
Canaanite
city-states.
Since
then
the
city
had
long
list
of
rulers:
Jebusites,
Israelites,
Judahites,
Assyrians,
Egyptians,
Babylonians,
Achaemenids
(Persians),
Greeks,
Hasmoneans,
Romans,
Byzantines,
Sasanian
(Persians),
Umayyads
(early
Muslims),
Abbasids,
Fatimids,
Crusaders,
Ayyubids,
Mamluks,
Ottomans,
British
and
Israel.
All left their marks on Jerusalem's soul and land.
Today
you
can
spend
few
exciting
days
while
exploring
Jerusalem.
You
can
pilgrim
to
the
holy
places
of
your
faith.
The
Jews
can
visit
the
western
wall
and
the
many
old
synagogues,
the
Christians
can
go
to
pray
and
visit
the
19th-century
churches
of
their
preferable,
and
the
Muslims
can
visit
the
Al-Aqsa
Mosque,
the
Dome
of
the
Rock
or
one
of
the
other
old
mosques.
All
can
explore
the
many
layers
of
the
archeology
findings
that
exist
throughout
the
ancient
city
and
the
proximity
neighborhood.
Some
of
the
highlights
include:
the
City
of
David
(mainly
from
the
Iron
II
Age),
the
archeology
park
on
the
southern
wall
and
the
western
wall
tunnels
(from
the
Roman
time),
the
Cardo
(Roman
and
Byzantine
periods),
the
ancient
Byzantine
and
the
Crusaders
churches
of
Mount
of
Olives
and
within
the
old
city,
the
well
preserved
16th-century
Ottoman
wall
and
Tower
of
David,
and
the colorful oriental bazaar market in the heart of the old city.
You
can
visit
the
western
part
of
the
city.
Enjoy
the
Jerusalem
atmosphere
of
the
city
center,
the
many
colorful
19
th
-century
neighborhoods
which
some
of
them
maintain
the
unique
way
of
life
of
the
ultra-orthodox
Jews,
the
Mount
Scopus
university,
Mahane-
Yehuda
Market,
the
Ein
Karem
neighborhood,
the
Israel
Museum
and
the Yad Vashem, the holocaust remembrance center.
