In our Religions series :
The Wailing Wall – or Western Wall as it is traditionally known to Jews – is part of the retaining wall of the esplanade of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem, located in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. Built in the 1st century AD during the completion of the Second Temple, it reinforces the western flank of the temple and is one of the main remains of Jerusalem’s ramparts. In this respect, it is revered as the wall of the Temple Mount.
The 57-metre-long section visible on the outside is in fact only part of the western wall, which stretches for 497 metres.
According to custom, some Jews who go to pray at the Western Wall leave wishes there, usually in the form of prayers and small folded pieces of paper with their wishes written on them.
The wall also has an important significance for Muslims, as it supports the esplanade where the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site, are built.