The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is a stone wall considered holy by Jews and believed to be part of the Second Temple. Muslims believe it is part of an ancient mosque or where Muhammad tied his winged steed. Control of the wall has been a point of contention, but it has also been a site of reconciliation, such as when Pope John Paul II prayed there. Visitors can pray at the wall and leave prayers in the cracks. The wall is made of meleke limestone and has an underground tunnel.
The Wailing Wall or Wailing Wall is located in Jerusalem and is believed by many to be the remains of a wall from a large Jewish temple or the wall surrounding the temple courtyard. It is a stone wall that extends about 62m above the ground. The wall is considered a holy place by Jews and thousands of people make pilgrimage there every year. It is also the source of much controversy regarding its true history, as well as a source of contention between Jews and Muslims, who consider it part of an ancient mosque or the wall to which the 7th century Islamic prophet Muhammad tied his winged steed during his journey night.
temple wall
Jews and many other peoples consider the wall to be part of a Jewish temple, also called the Second Temple, which stood for hundreds of years. King Herod ordered a renovation and expansion of the temple in about 19 BC, and the work was not finished until about 50 years later. This temple was destroyed by the Romans around AD 70, only a few years after its completion. The Wailing Wall is widely believed to be the only part still standing.
After the temple was destroyed, many Jews began to go to the walls to mourn the destruction of the temple and pray. The name Wailing Wall was attributed to the site by non-Jews who saw Jews weeping there. Jews actually refer to the wall as the Western Wall, or Kotel HaMaaravi in Hebrew.
Al-Buraq wall
Many Muslims believe that the wall has no relation to ancient Judaism. They refer to the wall as the Al-Buraq Wall, a reference to Al-Buraq, the winged steed Muhammad is said to have ridden. Muslims believe that Muhammad tied Al-Buraq to the wall as he ascended to heaven to speak with God. Many Muslims also believe that the wall was part of the ancient Al-Aqsa mosque and that Jews did not start praying on the wall at least in 16th century, if not much later.
Wall control
During its more than 3,500-year history, Jerusalem has been attacked and captured dozens of times. Control of the city – and the Wailing Wall – continued to be a point of contention into the 20th and early 21st centuries. Arab leaders controlled the wall during the early part of the 20th century, but with the establishment of Israel, Jews took control of the wall in the 20th. There is still much underlying bitterness about this place, however, which has contributed to the bad relations between Arab countries and Israel.
Although enmity remained between Jews and Muslims, the Wailing Wall was the site of reconciliation between Jews and Catholics. In 2000, Pope John Paul II became the first pope to pray at the wall. He also apologized for centuries of Catholic persecution of Jews, referring to them as the “elder brothers” of Catholics.
Pray at the wall
Jews from all countries, as well as tourists of other religions, go to pray at the wall, where many people believe that one immediately has “God’s ear”. People who cannot pray at the wall can send prayers or ask for Kaddish, a specific Jewish prayer, to be recited for their deceased loved ones. Sent prayers are placed in the cracks of the walls and are called kvitelach. There may be a small charge for this service, depending on the person or organization providing the service. When the small pieces of paper become too numerous – more than 1 million are placed each year – they are removed and buried.
The Wailing Wall can be visited at any time of day. Visitors are typically thoroughly searched for security reasons. Women of all religions, out of respect for Jewish law, should wear modest clothing. There are separate entrances for men and women, although they may congregate at the Wall.
Structure
The main section of the wall, where people go to pray, is about 187 feet (57 m) long and is made of meleke limestone. Most of the stones weigh 4,000 pounds (1,814.4 kg) or more, and one huge stone, called the Western Stone, weighs more than 1.1 million pounds (more than 500,000 kg). There are 28 layers of stone above the ground and 17 below the ground. An underground tunnel runs the length of the wall.
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