The walled Old City of Jerusalem is only about one square kilometer (220 acres) with 11 gates, seven of which are open.

 

The area is roughly divided into quadrants reflecting the people who predominate in each quarter: Jews, Armenians, Christians and Moslems. At the eastern end of the old city is the Temple Mount, site of the First Temple of Solomon, and the second Temple rebuilt by the Jews on their return from exile in Babylon, and later strengthened and expanded by Herod.

 

Jews lived continuously in the Old City until their expulsion by Arab and Jordanian forces during the War of Independence, after a long  All but one of the 19 synagogues in the Jewish Quarter were destroyed under Jordanian rule.

 

Israeli forces liberated the Old City at the end of the 1967 Six DayWar, restoring the Jewish Quarter and permitting free access to the Holy Places of Judaism,Christianity and Islam.