Where is the Wailing Wall?

People have believed in different religions. There are many temples, mosques, churches, caves, statues, etc where people worship their god according to their beliefs and religion. Such as the Ellora caves where Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain temples are located, Helsinki Cathedral is a church for Christians, the Wailing wall is a place where Jewish people pray, etc. In this article, you will get to know about the wailing wall or western wall.

Wailing Wall: Location and History 

The wailing wall also known as the Western Wall is located in Jerusalem. It is considered the most religious site for the Jewish people. It is exactly located in the old city of Jerusalem, Israel. The term wailing is not used by the Jewish people they refer to the site mainly as the western wall. The word wailing wall was used by the Romans and other people of foreign countries. The wailing wall is a part of the Temple Mount. The term wailing wall is derived from the Arabic term el- Mabka or “place for weeping”. The wall is approximately 488 meters long. Its height is 19 meters. The wall is built by the use of Limestones. The builder of the Wailing Wall is known as Herod The Great. It is considered the Holiest place in Judaism because of the Temple Mount.

Entry is restricted inside the Temple Mount so the Jews are permitted to pray through the wall. During the Christian Roman rule in Jerusalem. The Jews were forbidden to enter Jerusalem from 324 to 638 except on Tisha B’Av. This day is considered the saddest day for Jews. So, national mourning is held where all the Jews gather in holy places and weep.

Structure of the Wailing Wall

The wall of the Wailing Wall consists of 45 stones. Among them, 28 are found above the ground and 17 are found under the ground of the prayer section. According to some archaeologists, the western wall stands there since the 2nd century BCE. It was originally built as a part of the expansion of the Second Jewish Temple. This project was decided by Herod The Great. According to the Hebrew Bible, before the wailing wall, a temple was built in the 10th century. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in 586 BCE by the Babylonians. After that, the project of the Second Jewish Temple was started and was completed in 516 BCE. Again in 519 BCE, Herod the Great decided to expand the temple. As a result wailing wall was also built.

The Jewish people have been praying in the Wailing Wall for more than 2000 years. People from different countries gather there and express their gratitude as well as sorrows. When the prayers are done people stuck prayer notes on the wall. It is a custom for Jewish people. The holy place is open to all people in the world and entry is also free. Men and Women should dress modestly in the Western Wall Plaza. Women should have their whole body covered including legs and hair during prayers. The men’s and women’s sections are separated. Men should pray on one side of a barrier and women on the other.