Western Wall and Tunnels

The Western Wall, also called the Kotel, forms part of the western retaining wall of the Temple Mount compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel. King Herod the Great expanded the platform around 20 BCE, and the massive lower courses of Herodian ashlar, with their drafted margins, date from that project. The Roman destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE left the retaining walls standing, and in later centuries Jews gathered at the wall to pray and mourn. Under Ottoman rule a narrow alley was used for worship, and after the 1967 Six-Day War the Israeli authorities cleared the Maghrebi Quarter to create the large plaza seen today. The exposed section of the wall is about 57 metres long and rises about 19 metres above the plaza, with further courses buried below ground and more continuing northwards. The plaza is divided into men's and women's sections, and visitors place written prayers in the cracks between stones. Services are held throughout the day and night, with Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations and Friday evening prayers drawing crowds. The Western Wall Tunnels extend north along the base of the wall and can be visited only on a guided tour that must be booked in advance. They pass through Hasmonean, Herodian and later passages, reveal massive stones including the Western Stone, which weighs hundreds of tonnes, and reach Warren's Gate and a section of a Second Temple period street. The tunnels were excavated by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation from 1968 onward and are managed under strict conservation. Visitors should dress modestly, and men should cover their heads in the men's section. Security checks apply at the plaza entrance, and photography is not permitted on Shabbat and Jewish holidays near the prayer area.