Perillo Tours

The extraordinary city of Jerusalem is a truly unique blend of history, spirituality, cultures and seeming contradictions. One of the oldest cities in the world, it is thoroughly modern, too. It is also, arguably, the holiest place in the world; Jerusalem is considered sacred by Jews, Muslims and Christians. Regardless of your faith, Jerusalem is captivating, filled with religious relics, picturesque streets, beautiful architecture and a multitude of cultures; its smells, sounds and sights are like nowhere else on Earth.

Just as its sights are sacred to three major religions, the city itself is divided into three parts: The Old City; the New City, West Jerusalem; and East Jerusalem, which is largely Arab. The old city is a World Heritage site surrounded by almost two miles of high walls dating to the Ottoman empire. Many of Jerusalem's holiest religious landmarks are located in the Old City.

The Temple Mount, called the Noble Sanctuary by Muslims, is one of the most contested religious sites in the world. It is Judaism’s holiest site. Islam believes the Temple Mount to be where Prophet Muhammad’s ascent to heaven took place. For Christians, this is the temple where Jesus chastised the money changers.  Sovereignty over the site remains a key issue in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Atop the Temple Mount are the gold-domed Dome of the Rock, the world’s oldest Islamic monument, and the silver-domed al-Aqsa Mosque. This is, especially for Sunni Islam, the third holiest spot in Islam.

The Western Wall is also nicknamed the Wailing Wall, after the Jewish practice of mourning the destruction of the Temple on the site.

The Via Dolorosa is believed to be the route that Jesus took from his condemnation to his burial.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, known as the Church of the Resurrection to Eastern Christians, is, according to the New Testament, the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial.  At the foot of the Mount of Olives lies the Garden of Gethsemane. It remains a tranquil garden in the walled grounds of the Church of all Nations, also called the Church of the Agony, with a view of the city of Jerusalem.