This is the latest of our weekly travel photo series, inspired by #FriFotos on Twitter.
This week’s Photo Friday subject is Holy Places. While I thought about using some photos from our Easter trip to Rome, I realized that I had never felt religion as such a powerful force as I did in Jerusalem. The photo above is from the women’s side of the Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall), one of the most sacred sites in Judaism.
The Wall is part of the ancient wall that surrounded Temple Mount, where the historically significant temples of Jewish history were built. Parts of the Wall date back to the time of Herod the Great, who expanded the Second Temple.
The faithful leave written prayers in the crevices of wall. More than a million notes are left each year.
While you are there, you can enter the Western Wall Tunnel, a labyrinth of arches, tunnels and passageways that show larger stretches of the wall built by King Herod, as well as roads and cisterns that date back to ancient Jerusalem . Excavation of the tunnels began in the 19th century and it’s still going on in some places.
Many Jewish pilgrims go to pray inside the tunnels at the “Cave” which is believed to be the site closest to the Holy of Holies (the inner sanctum of the First Temple, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept).
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I know of people who have wished that their favourite sports teams to win, by placing a note in the wailing wall – and it’s worked!
LOL! That somehow feels like an abuse of power to me. But to each, his own!
How do you get to find out what the theme is for #frifoto? I want to take part but could not find out what the theme was on Twitter?
Natalie – Go on Twitter on a Thursday and search for #FriFotos. People usually tweet what the theme will be.