There are a handful of important sites to visit outside the Old City of Jerusalem. In this post, I’ll mention a few of them I was able to see. Not covered are sites along Jaffa Road.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Ναός του Παναγίου Τάφου / Ecclesia Sancti Sepulchri / כנסיית הקבר / كنيسة القيامة) contains the two holiest sites in Christianity: Golgotha where Jesus was crucified, and the empty tomb where he was buried and resurrected. It also contains the last five stations of the Via Dolorosa and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Old City of Jerusalem. It’s located in the city’s Christian Quarter.
The Christian Quarter makes up the northwest quadrant of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Old City of Jerusalem.
Mount Zion is a hill southwest of the Old City of Jerusalem. It contains three important religious sites.
The Via Dolorosa is the route that Christians believe follows the final footsteps of Jesus on the way to his crucifixion. It’s located in the UNESCO World Heritage listed Old City of Jerusalem
The Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem covers the northeastern quadrant of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Old City. It’s the largest and most populous quarter.
The Temple Mount, or the Noble Sanctuary, contains the holiest place in Judaism and third holiest in Islam. It’s located in the UNESCO World Heritage listed Old City of Jerusalem and is arguably the most hotly contested piece of land in the world.
Gethsemane is an area outside the Old City of Jerusalem. Christians believe it was the site where Jesus was arrested the night before the crucifixion, and there are several important Christian sites in the area.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem (Πατριαρχεῖον Ἱεροσολύμων) is the seat of the Eastern Orthodox Church in the Holy Land. Its territory includes Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, as well as Saint Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai in Egypt.
The Sea of Galilee is an important tourist destination in northeast Israel. It’s located between the Golan Heights and the Galilee region.