Judaism
The Western Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem is the most sacred site accessible to Jewish worshippers, being the last remaining retaining wall of the Second Temple compound destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. [1][2]
The wall was part of the expansion of the Second Temple by Herod the Great in approximately 19 BCE. After the Roman destruction of the Temple, the Western Wall became the focal point of Jewish mourning and prayer, earning the name "Wailing Wall" in English. Following the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel gained control of the Old City and the Western Wall plaza was created. [1][2]
Jews pray at the wall facing the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism where the First and Second Temples stood. The tradition of placing written prayers in the cracks between the stones is practiced by millions of visitors annually. The wall is a symbol of Jewish resilience and connection to the ancient homeland. [1][2]
The Western Wall plaza is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is free to visit. Separate prayer sections exist for men and women. [1][2]
The Western Wall plaza is open at all hours and free to enter, and worshippers pray facing the wall, many placing written prayers in the cracks between its ancient stones. The plaza has separate prayer sections for men and women. [1][2]
The wall is a surviving section of the retaining structure that Herod the Great built to expand the Second Temple platform, its great lower courses dating to that first-century work. It stands at the foot of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. [1][2]
After the Roman destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Western Wall became the focus of Jewish prayer and mourning for the lost sanctuary, with the holiest site in Judaism lying just beyond it. It remains a powerful symbol of Jewish continuity and connection to Jerusalem. [1][2][3]