Jerusalem Old City·37 BCE – Present
The Kotel
The Western Wall — How a Retaining Wall Became Holy
How a Herodian retaining wall — built to support a platform, not enclose a sanctuary — became Judaism's holiest accessible place of prayer through centuries of memory, law, imperial policy, and national longing.
Exam Fast Facts
Built:37 BCE — Herodian engineering
Prayer site from:16th century — Ottoman regularization
Pre-1967 width:4 meters — a narrow alley
Years of absence:19 years (1948–1967) under Jordanian rule
Jewish HeritageJerusalem Old City5 Layers of SanctityOttoman Period1967