How to visit and what to see at the Western Wall (Jerusalem)

If there is an experience that gave me the most expectation regarding the trip to Israel that I have done recently, this is, without a doubt, knowing and walking through the Wailing wall.

And the truth is that it has not disappointed me in the least, but on the contrary, it has impressed me.

Our guide Riky told us the anecdote of a Catholic priest from one of the numerous groups of religious tourists who come to Jerusalem every year, who upon arriving before the Wailing wall he started to cry.

The reason? that he would like to see in his church just a little of the enormous faith that is manifested every day in that corner of Jerusalem.

Beyond religious beliefs of any sign, or even non-beliefs, the truth is that visit and walk around the Wailing Wall is a essential experience on a trip to the lavish Jerusalem.

And I also assure you that it will be one of the most intense experiences in your life. trip to Israel.

Where is the Wailing Wall

ButWhat is the Wailing Wall and where is it located??

These are the remains of the western retaining wall of the second Jerusalem Temple, a section that has become the most sacred place in Judaism.

This temple was located on the Mount Moriah and was destroyed in the year 70 by the Romans, during the Great Jewish Revolt.

Now the aforementioned vestiges of its western wall summon thousands of Jews, most of them Orthodox, to prayer every day.

How to visit the Western Wall

To see the wall you will have to go to the west area of ​​the Great Esplanade of the Mosques, the walled area that occupies the space of the old temple, and which is now holy place for muslims and access prohibited for Jews.

At trip to Jerusalem We went twice to Wailing wall, the first time, on a Saturday night, after the Jewish holiday of Sabbath.

At night it is very easy to locate where in the Old City of Jerusalem the wall is located, since the large esplanade that opens in front of this place is under the great illumination of enormous spotlights.

To access said esplanade you must first go through a security check in which men and women will pass separately through different scanners.

What to see at the Wailing Wall

Already on the previous esplanade you will see before you the famous Wailing wall. For whose visit you must go with appropriate clothing, without shorts or with your shoulders covered.

In reality you will only see a small section of 57 meters in length and 19 meters in visible height, since the rest of the western wall, which has a total length of 488 meters, is hidden by residential buildings that are attached to it.

There is also a network of tunnels that allow you to reach the lowest parts of the wall, which were built around the year 19 by order of the king herod.

From the esplanade you will see that the women are grouped on the right side of the wall, while the men pray on the left side.

When visiting it at prayer time, the truth is that there was a large influx of Orthodox Jews, and also many women, especially very young people.

Even if you are not Jewish, you can easily walk along the wall while people are praying.

Of course, we men must take and put ourselves in the head the kippah, the small ritual cap that Jews must always wear in sacred places such as synagogues or cemeteries.

Surely you will be surprised (as I was...) by the great fervor of those who are praying, each one at their own pace, with or without head movements, in some cases at a frenetic pace.

The men, in addition to the open area of ​​the wall, have a large annex tunnel where they also gather to pray and where you can see large shelves with religious books.

On the visit we made the next day, early on a somewhat hot afternoon, we were initially surprised to see that there were almost no people praying next to the wall.

The reason is that almost everyone was in the inner area of ​​the tunnel.

Finally, for your visit, I can tell you that you will not have any problem taking photos or filming videos in this prayer area, of course, doing so with due respect.

I advise you not to miss the video that accompanies this article.