Western Wall, Jerusalem Old City by E.K.111

The builders of the Western Wall could never have fathomed that one day their modest creation would become the most important religious shrine for the Jewish people. Indeed, when it was built some 2000 years ago it was merely a retaining wall supporting the outer portion of the Temple Mount, upon which stood the Second Temple. (The Second Temple was constructed around 520 BC.) But following the destruction of the temple in AD 70, Jews were sent into exile and the precise location of the temple was lost. Upon their return they purposely avoided the Temple Mount, fearing that they might step on the Holy of Holies, the ancient inner sanctum of the temple barred to all except high priests. Instead they began praying at an exposed outer wall; according to rabbinical texts, the shechina (divine presence) never deserted the wall and it's regarded as the most holy of all Jewish sites. The Wall grew as a place of pilgrimage during the Ottoman period and Jews would come to mourn and lament their ancient loss - hence the term the Wailing Wall. At this time, houses were pressed right up to the Wall, leaving just a narrow alley for prayer. In 1948 the Jews lost access when the whole of the Old City was taken by the Jordanians. Nineteen years later when Israeli paratroopers stormed in during the Six Day War, they fought their way directly to the Wall. The area immediately in front of the Wall now operates as a great open-air synagogue. (Lonely Planet review)