User:Nsabri/sandbox

Palestine is filled with beautiful landmarks and areas that bring in tourists from all over the world throughout the year. The most significant and visited site is the Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock is historical site not only for Muslims, but for Jews and Christians as well. To the Muslims, this rock is known to be the site where the Prophet Mohammad prayed, and left to make his journey to paradise. The Jews believe this is the place where the Temple once stood, and Abraham had offered his son Isaac on Mount Moriah. Christians claim this site to be Jesus prayed and taught, and that it was a Church during the time when the Crusaders controlled Jerusalem.

Al- Masjid Al-Aqsa, meaning Al-Aqsa mosque, also in Jerusalem, is the second oldest mosque after the Kaa'ba in Saudi Arabia. It is said to have been built by Abd al-Malik in 692 A.D., and literally translated, Al-Aqsa means "the farthermost place of worship." The significance of this Mosque is due to the fact that it was the first qibla, meaning the direction of a Muslim faces toward during prayer. Before Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, Muslims prayed toward Jerusalem.

Another historical site is the Western Wall, also known to some as the "Wailing Wall." After the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 C.E., only one wall remained. To their pilgrimage to Palestine, the Jews would find their way to the Western Wall, to pray and thank God. It's name Wailing Wall, though not commonly used among Jews, was given due to the amount of people who would cry and literally wail while praying. While visiting this wall, people leave notes between the rocks in hopes God will answer their prayers. The visible part of the Western Wall is about 187 feet long, but the entire length of it is actually 1,600 feet long.