Jerusalem

Jerusalem is a historic city in the Middle East, located in the hills between the Mediterranean coast and the Dead Sea. It is one of the most important religious centres in the world and is sacred to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The city has a Mediterranean-type climate, with hot, dry summers and cool, wetter winters. Its location on elevated terrain has shaped its history, architecture and urban development. Jerusalem has a long history of settlement and has been an important political and religious centre for thousands of years.

The city is divided into many neighbourhoods, while the Old City forms its historic core. Although relatively small in area, the Old City contains an exceptional concentration of religious and historical sites and is surrounded by ancient walls. Jerusalem is also a place where different cultural and religious traditions have developed alongside one another over many centuries.

The Old City contains some of the best-known sacred places in the region, including the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the complex known to Muslims as Al-Haram al-Sharif, which includes the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981 and have remained on the List of World Heritage in Danger since 1982.

Jerusalem's modern history is closely connected to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and its political and legal status remains internationally disputed. Israel considers Jerusalem its capital, while Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The United Nations does not recognize unilateral changes to the status of Jerusalem and considers its final status a matter to be resolved through negotiations. Because of this history and its religious importance, Jerusalem remains a city of exceptional cultural significance as well as a place of continuing political sensitivity.