Israel - This is not only a vacation in first-class resorts, but first of all a pilgrimage to the Holy places of many religions.
The peculiarity of tourist Israel is that a huge number of historical and natural monuments are concentrated here. About basic sights of Israel we will tell in this article.
Tomb of King David
A tomb located on Mount Zion, dating back to around the 12th century, is regarded as the burial place of the legendary biblical character of King David. This is one of the most memorable figures of the Old Testament, representing the ideal of a ruler, from whose kind the Messiah Jesus Christ himself comes. He, an ordinary shepherd, by the prophet Samuel himself was destined to become king of Israel and unite the state of Israel. He was a great poet and musician, a great warrior who defeated the giant Goliath and the wisest of all the kings. David turned Jerusalem into a large prosperous city and declared it the single and main religious center of the Jews. Under this king, Israel extended from the Sinai Peninsula to the Euphrates River. Died at the age of 72, the king was buried in Jerusalem, also called the "city of David." Disputes about the place of his burial are still ongoing, but most historians consider this tomb on Mount Zion to be the most likely place.
Massada Fortress
The ancient fortress, located near the city of Arad, is known for the fact that King Herod the Great himself built an outpost-refuge here for himself and his associates. The fortress is located on top of one of the rocks in the Judean desert. From all sides, Massada is surrounded by high steep cliffs and only from the side of the sea is a narrow path called the "snake path" leading here. However, this does not cause tourists any problems, since a special cableway functions for them.
The fortress was erected on the territory of 600 meters long and 300 meters wide. Around the perimeter, it was surrounded by ramparts about one and a half kilometers long and 4 meters thick. Around the perimeter of the walls were installed about 40 watch towers. The royal palace, a synagogue, barracks, and stables functioned on the territory of the fortress. Here was stored the treasury of King Herod.
Al Aqsa Mosque
Al-Aqsa Mosque, erected in Jerusalem on the territory of the Temple Mount, is the third most important shrine of the Islamic world (after Mecca and Medina). According to legend, it was from here that the prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven after his famous journey of their Mecca to Jerusalem. The mosque was built in the middle of the 8th century by the caliphs of their Umayyad dynasty and was subsequently rebuilt several times. In 1099, the crusaders who conquered Jerusalem converted the mosque into a church and also located here the ruler’s palace and stable. The mosque was again rebuilt after reconquering the city at the end of the 12th century by Saladdin. Subsequently, Al-Aqsa was repeatedly rebuilt by Ayyubids, Mamluks and Ottomans.
The dimensions of the mosque are also impressive: more than 80 meters in length and about 60 in width. At the same time, 5 thousand people can pray in it. The dome of the mosque is covered with gold, the columns are carved from marble, the walls are decorated with beautiful ornate Arabic mosaics.
The Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is perhaps the most famous place in Israel. This is the only body of water on earth in which there is absolutely no life. The reason for this was a very high concentration of salt, which arose due to the lack of effluent, high temperature and low humidity inherent to these edges. Due to excessive salinity in the waters of the Dead Sea, it is impossible to drown. Water just pushes things up.
Local sea salt and coastal mud also have healing properties. There are several medical centers around the sea, and medicines made on the basis of local minerals are known all over the world.
The seashore is replete with archaeological finds and this is not surprising. Over the centuries, the local shores attracted people from different parts of the world and witnessed many historical events.
Wall of Tears
The main shrine of Israel, a place of prayer and pilgrimage for millions of Jews from around the world. Believers leave small notes with wishes among the stones of the wall. It is believed that the desire left in this way will certainly come true.
The Wailing Wall found its name after the repeated destruction of the main Jewish temple in Jerusalem (first by the Assyrians and then by the Romans). The wall itself is what remains of the temple after its destruction. It surrounds the Temple Mount, on which many important events from the point of view of representatives of all monotheistic religions took place. It was here that Abraham wanted to sacrifice his son, and the prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven.
