This land is considered sacred in three of the world's largest religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The center of one of the youngest cults is also located here - the local air provokes mystical revelations
WALL OF TEARS
Researchers believe that the name was invented by the Arabs when they saw how the Jews here mourn the fate of their people. The place was sacred for the Jews - there was a temple dedicated to one God.
The first, built by Solomon, was destroyed by the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar. The temple was restored, but it was destroyed by the Romans. All that remains is the western wall, 488 meters long. The Wailing Wall is an open 57-meter section. Jews came to pray against the wall. Those who could not come passed letters with requests and prayers. This is how the custom of putting notes on the wall was born. Now the messages are left here by everyone, regardless of religion. Twice a year, all the notes are taken out of the wall and buried nearby - on the Mount of Olives
SOREK CAVE
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The largest stalactite and stalagmite cave in Israel was discovered by accident in May 1968 - during the extraction of rubble on the Haar Tuv mountain at an altitude of 385 meters. After another explosion of rocks in the quarry, a small hole opened, in the place of which an entrance to the cave was subsequently made.
On an area of 4800 m2, there are various types of stalactites (calcareous growths on the ceiling of the cave) and stalagmites (at the bottom), the age of which, according to scientists, is up to 5 million years. Since 1975, excursions have been allowed here. The formation of stalactites and stalagmites continues to this day, and visitors are asked not to touch anything.
JEWISH DESERT
The area of the smallest desert in Israel is only 22 km2 (slightly larger than the area of Moscow within the Garden Ring), the rest is in Jordan and Palestine. Its name is associated with the descendants of Judas - one of the 12 sons of Jacob, from whom, according to the Holy Scriptures, the Israelites originated. The place served as a refuge for hermits and rebels - the future Jewish king David was hiding here from King Saul. Here, in the cave, John the Baptist lived until the age of 30, who subsequently baptized Jesus Christ. Bedouins and Jewish settlers now live in the desert
PORT JAFFA
The main port of ancient Israel and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. According to legend, he was named after Japhet, the son of the biblical forefather Noah. It is believed that this is where Noah built the ark.
This place is also known from ancient Greek myths - in Joppa (Jaffa) Perseus defeated the sea monster and freed Andromeda, chained to a rock on the shore. And the first written mention of Jaffa is found in the Egyptian chronicles of the 15th century BC. e. - he appears in the list of cities captured by Pharaoh Thutmose III. Today the ancient settlement is united with Tel Aviv into a single metropolis Tel Aviv - Jaffa, and the port is the main local attraction
TEMPLE OF THE LORD
The temple, built on the site where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Now the temple is divided between six denominations of the Christian Church: Orthodox, Catholic, Armenian, Coptic, Syrian and Ethiopian.
However, in order to avoid conflicts between believers, the keys to it have been kept in the Arab-Muslim family since the end of the 12th century, and the right to unlock and lock the doors belongs to another Muslim dynasty (all this time, keys are passed in families from father to son). In the temple, opposite the entrance to the cave of the Holy Sepulcher, from about the 4th century, the Navel of the Earth was designated - the symbolic Christian center of the world, the place of salvation of the human race. To show its exact location, a low marble bowl with a ball inside, on which a cross is inscribed, is placed here and now. The bowl is quite light, and it is chained to prevent tourists and pilgrims from dislodging or carrying away the navel of the earth.
BAHI GARDENS
The center of one of the youngest Bahá'í religions is located in Haifa and is famous for the terraced gardens stretching out on Mount Carmel.
The length of the terraces is about a kilometer, and they lead to the top of the mountain, where the relics of Bab, the Iranian prophet who predicted the arrival of the founder of Baha'ism, Bahá'u'lláh, are buried. The Bahá'í Faith began in the mid-19th century in Persia. Bahá'u'lláh has declared that he is the messenger of one God, and Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad and Baba are his predecessors. In 1868 Bahá'u'lláh was exiled to Haifa. Pilgrims from Persia and Egypt flocked here. The city soon became the center of religion. They spent $ 250 million on the construction of the gardens. Baha'i followers donated money
THE DEAD SEA
The drainless salt lake between Israel, Palestine and Jordan is the lowest part of the earth's surface. The water level here is 427 meters below the level of the World Ocean. The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water. About 340 grams of salt are dissolved in a liter of water, which is 10 times more than in the ocean.
Swimming in the Dead Sea is difficult, but tourists come here not to swim, but to treat skin diseases. The local water and clay contains 50 billion tons of minerals belonging to 21 species, 12 of which are not found in any other natural reservoir.