The Western Wall (Hebrew: הכותל המערבי, translit.: HaKotel HaMa’aravi), or simply The Kotel, is a retaining wall in Jerusalem that dates from the time of the Jewish Second Temple (515 BCE – 70 CE). It is sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall (Arabic: il-Mabka‎), referring to Jews mourning the destruction of the Temple, but this name is becoming less common. The Western Wall is part of the bigger religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem called Har ha-Bayit (the Temple Mount) to Jews and Christians, or Al-Haram al-Qudsi al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) to Muslims. The Western Wall derives its holiness due to its proximity to the sacred Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount, which is the Most Holy Place in Judaism. This makes the Western Wall the holiest location in Judaism which is currently generally accessible to the Jewish people for prayer.

Jerusalem, Israel.

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