Jerusalem, a city with 5,000 years of history, is the holiest city in Judaism and Christianity, and
third holiest in Islam (after Mecca and Medina). The Israelites under King David conquered the city around 1000 BCE and made it the
capitol of their kingdom. Jerusalem has been controlled by numerous other empires as well, namely the Babylonians, Persians,
Macedonians, Egyptian Ptolemites, Seleucids, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottoman Turks, and the British. In 1949 the modern
western section of the city became the captiol of the new State of Israel, while the Old City was held by Jordan. In the 1967 Six Day War
Israel seized control over all of Jerusalem and united it under Israeli sovereignty. Today Jerusalem is the most explosive issue in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the Palestinians want Jerusalem as the capitol of a Palestinian state, but Israel has no intention of
giving up any of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is synonomous with history, both ancient and modern.
Jerusalem is an amazing place for travellers. You get to walk in the footsteps of great historical
figures, visit some of the most important religious sites in the world, mingle with two different cultures (Jewish and Arabic), and watch
history unfold before your eyes. And unlike in much of Israel, it is easy to stick to a backpackers' budget in Jerusalem since the Arabic
section is cheap. There are many hostels in the Old City and East Jerusalem that cost around $4 US for a dorm bed, and there is lots of
cheap food around as well. In West Jerusalem visit the Mahane Yehuda market, which has the cheapest food in the city.
The main attraction for visitors to Jerusalem is the Old City, containing the Dome of the Rock,which holds the rock upon which Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac,
the Western Wall, the last remainder of the ancient Jewish Temple structure, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which is built over the
site where Jesus is thought to have been crucified. South of the walled Old City is the City of David, remains of the part of the city fortified by King
David. Closeby is Hezekiah's Tunnel, an ancient water tunnel that supplied the city in times of seige. You can walk through the dark tunnel, water and all,
just bring a candle or flashlight because it's completely black inside. Aside from these main sights, the best part of Jerusalem is simply
wandering the market streets of the Old City and the downtown area of the Westside, observing the diverse local population.
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