15 GREAT PLACES TO VISIT IN ISRAEL

Great Places to Visit in Israel

Whether you are going to Israel as a pilgrim or just a regular vacationer, it is a must to read Wanderlust15’s Israel travel guide. It will provide you fifteen of the most famous landmarks in the country which you need to visit and see. These are natural, religious and cultural sites – some of which are thousands of years old. So, have fun in Israel and tell us all about your trip once you get back!

1. Sea of Galilee

The Galilee Sea is not exactly a “sea”. In fact, it is a freshwater lake which is also called Kinneret or Lake Tiberias. The lake is low and it is the shallowest freshwater lake in the entire world with only a depth of 43 meters at its maximum. It is only second to the Dead Sea in lowness of depth.

Anyway, the Sea of Galilee is the most famous landmark in Israel. This is where Jesus Christ performed his many miracles more than 2000 years ago. Today, people eat by the lake and some even bathe in it – hoping for some “miracle”. This is one of the places to visit in Israel.

2. Western Wall

The Western Wall is connected to the Temple Mount and it is a prayer site for the followers of Jesus Christ, mainly Jews, to this day. A lot of travelers from different countries around the world visit the Western Wall as part of their religious journey. It has been documented since the 16th century that praying by the wall is a traditional Jewish pilgrimage act. The wall is made of limestone and as for its establishment; research suggests that it has existed since 19 BC.

3. Church of the Holy Sepulchre

This church has many names. For the Orthodox Christians, they call it the Church of the Anastasis or the Church of the Resurrection. In Arabic, they call it the Kaneesat al-Qeyaamah. Within the area of the church, it is believed that Jesus Christ has died, buried and has risen there. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was also said to have transpired within the Holy Sepulchre site called the Calvary. It’s been preserved since the 4th century and it is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the country.

4. Yad Vashem

One of the most vicious crimes that ever transpired in the history of the world is the Holocaust wherein millions of Jews were slaughtered and murdered because of a man called Adolf Hitler during the Second World War. To remind today’s generation of this injustice, the Yad Vashem was erected and it has countless names and pictures of the people who were unjustly killed back then. The whole place is like a museum now with various organizations and memorial sites within – all connected to the Holocaust. It is definitely one of the places to visit in Israel.

5. Tower of David

The Jerusalem Citadel is also the term people use for the Tower of David. It is believed that the citadel existed during the Ottoman era and the Mamluk Empire. There was another fort there, built before the citadel, which was destroyed due to battles and wars over the centuries. Archaeologists found relics and monuments within the citadel walls that are about 2,000 years old. For example, they dug up a quarry as old as the First Temple age. Today, they use this quarry area to hold concerts and shows.

6. Timna Valley

Timna Valley or Timna Park is one and the same. Day and night tours are being offered here if you want to explore the copper mine of Israel. It is believed that the mines in Timna Valley were active since 5000 BC and they say that it is the first copper mining farm in the history of the world.

The park tour will include a visitation to the Temple of Hathor (Hathor is the Goddess of Copper), Solomon’s Pillars, ancient drawings of Egyptian era and many other remnants and relics.

7. Mount of Olives

The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet is called as such because during the time of Jesus Christ, the whole mountain was covered with thick trees of olives. It’s been there for more than 3,000 years. A part of the foothill was used as a burial site back then and to date, it has about 150,000 tombs. It is one of the most massive Jewish cemeteries in the country and it has become a tradition for Jews of Israel to be buried there.

8. Temple Mount

The Arabs call the Temple Mount Haram esh-Sharif. For the Christians, it is one of the most sacred places in Jerusalem and many travelers go to the site just to pray. It is a popular tourist attraction and it is one of the best places to visit in Israel.

Presently, the whole temple site has three religious structures. The Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are there for the Islam believers. The Dome of the Chain is situated in the Temple Mount as well, which is a place of worship by both Muslims and Christians, as evidenced by history.

9. Dome of the Rock

Israel is home to Jews, Christians and Muslims, as well. And because they need to pray five times a day, they built the Dome of the Rock or the Qubbat al-Sakhrah, in Arabic. It is the most prominent Islamic structure in the country. The mosque was built through the instructions of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 688. The dome of the mosque is gold-plated. The last time it was plated was in 1993. Before that, the dome was plated in 1959. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the inscription Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls.

10. Jerusalem Biblical Zoo

The also call the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo as The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens in Jerusalem. It was founded in 1940 by a professor in Zoology named Aharon Shulov. He used to teach at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He initiated the program of all kinds collecting animals, from reptiles to mammals, specifically those that were mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures. In part, he wanted to teach his students about these animals and thus, he created the zoo.

11. Gethsemane

It is believed that Gethsemane is the place where Jesus Christ used to frequent – he meditated and prayed there many times. His apostles were also believed to have stayed there with him the night before Jesus Christ was crucified. The last supper was on a Thursday and there they were, if you ask the faithful Christians.

Today, it is a symbol of holiness, sacredness and hope. Christians from all over the world go to Gethsemane, they reflect and pray there, just like what Jesus Christ did back then. It is one of the famous landmarks in Israel.

12. Israel Museum

The Israel Museum is the biggest establishment in Israel which carries the history and the culture of the country. It is an artistic and archaeological museum and is one of the leaders in this genre all over the world. The whole campus is 20 acres big and it was renovated recently to give way to new galleries, extended public entrances and walkways. It was established in 1965 and for more than fifty years, it has gathered and secured almost half a million important relics and works of art that are world-class in nature. This is one of the best places to visit in Israel.

13. Dolphin Reef

The famous Red Sea is touching the coast of Eilat in Israel and within the area is the Dolphin Reef. It is a reef shaped like that of a horseshoe and is frequented by dolphins, the bottlenose kind. They have 7 resident dolphins in the reef namely Cindy, Shy, Nana, Luna, Nikita, Sheba and Raja. Cindy and Raja are both male and Raja is Cindy’s son with Shy. Both Cindy and Shy came from the Black Sea and has been in the reef for 30 years. All these dolphins are very friendly. You can touch and swim with them. One of the things to do in Israel is to swim with the dolphins here in Dolphin Reef.

14. The Garden Tomb

The archaeological site was discovered in 1867 and an archaeologist from Israel named Gabriel Barkay made an approximate that the Garden Tomb was from the 8th to 7th BC. But with its description, many religious followers of Jesus Christ believe that this was his tomb; this was the place where he was buried and where he has also risen. There are no sufficient evidences and documents to prove this for sure but they based the assumption on stories passed down that it is indeed Christ’s tomb.

15. Yitzhak Rabin Center

Yitzhak Rabin used to be the Prime Minister of Israel before his assassination. So, as a dedication to him, the Yitzhak Rabin Center was established which is both a research facility and a library. It is one of the places to visit in Israel. The center is on top a hill which overlooks the Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv and it was designed by an accomplished architect in Israel named Moshe Safdie. A brief history of Israel’s culture and how they achieved democracy is exhibited in the center.