Wailing Wall

The Plaza Was Created in 1967 by Demolishing a Neighbourhood

The open space in front of the Western Wall – the broad plaza that can hold tens of thousands of people for prayer and crowds comfortably – did not exist before June 1967. When Israel took control of the Old City during the Six-Day War, the Moroccan Quarter that had occupied the area immediately adjacent to the Wall since the Mamluk period was demolished within days to create the current plaza. An estimated 135 families were displaced with virtually no notice. That history does not diminish the spiritual significance of the Wall, but it is part of the Wall’s modern history that visitors rarely learn from the site’s presentation.

The Western Wall (HaKotel HaMa’aravi) is a 488-metre retaining wall that supported the western side of the Second Temple platform. The Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE; the retaining walls survived. The Wall is the closest accessible point to the site of the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctuary of the Temple. This is why it became and remains Judaism’s most sacred prayer site.

At the Wall

The plaza divides into two sections separated by a mechitza (partition): the larger northern section for men, the smaller southern section for women. Both are open to visitors of any background. Dress code: men need a head covering (cardboard kippot are available free at the entrance), women need covered shoulders and knees. Shawls are available to borrow.

The practice of placing written prayers in the cracks between the stones began in the 18th century, not in antiquity. The notes accumulate and are removed twice a year and buried on the Mount of Olives.

The most atmospheric times are Friday afternoon before Shabbat, when the plaza fills with prayer as the sun sets, and during major Jewish holidays – Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavuot bring very large crowds. The Wall is open 24 hours. Arriving at 05:00-06:00 on a weekday gives you the Wall in near silence, which is a different experience from midday.

The Western Wall Tunnels

The Wall continues for hundreds of metres underground – what you see in the plaza is a small fraction of the structure’s full length. The Western Wall Tunnels tour follows an excavated passage along the underground section, including a Second Temple period pool and a section of wall closest to the former Holy of Holies. This is one of the more genuinely interesting archaeological experiences in Jerusalem and is consistently overlooked by visitors who assume the surface plaza is the entire site.

Book well in advance through the Western Wall Heritage Foundation website; tours sell out weeks ahead. Allow 75 minutes. The tunnels are cool year-round; bring a light layer.

Around the Jewish Quarter

The Cardo – the main north-south street of Roman-era Jerusalem, partially excavated and visible beneath the current street level – is five minutes’ walk from the Wall. The Burnt House Museum shows the remains of an Upper City house burned in the Roman destruction of 70 CE, with a brief sound-and-light presentation about the family who lived there. It makes the 70 CE destruction viscerally real in a way that a text description cannot.

The Arab Market (Shuk) through the Muslim Quarter from the Damascus Gate is the most active market in the Old City: spices, sweets, clothing, household goods. The pressed sesame bread rings (ka’ak) sold from street carts near the Damascus Gate are worth buying.

For hummus: Abu Shukri near the Via Dolorosa and Lina Restaurant in the Christian Quarter both serve it with olive oil and pine nuts in a fashion that has been consistent for decades. These are the correct recommendations. Cash is practical throughout the Old City; Israeli shekels are the standard currency.