Jerusalem Map Israel - Location, Landmarks & Geography

Jerusalem is located in the southern Levant on the highland between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea. It is one of the most ancient and culturally significant cities in the world. It holds profound spiritual importance for Judaism Christianity and Islam. Both Israel and Palestine assert claim over Jerusalem as their capital although global recognition of these claims remains limited.

Over thousands of years Jerusalem has been at the center of countless conflicts destroyed twice besieged over 20 times and conquered repeatedly. Its earliest known settlement, the city of David, dates back to the 4th Millennium BCE. The name of the city possibly means the city of shalem which first appears in Egyptian records from the 14th century BCE.

Under the Israelis rule in the 10th century BCE Jerusalem became a political and spiritual hub. In 1538 the ottomans reconstructed its walls which now encircles the old city divided into Armenian Christian Jewish and Muslim quarters. The old city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981.

By 2020 Jerusalem’s population had grown to nearly 9,72,000 with the Jewish forming around 60% and the Palestinians approximately 40%. The Hebrew Bible recounts king David’s conquest of the city and king Solomon’s construction of the first temple for Christians Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection in Jerusalem enhance its sanctity. In Islam it is regarded as the third holiest city after Mecca and Medina and it is believed to be the site of Muhammad ascension to heaven.

History

Jerusalem is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities with a history dating back over 5000 years. Its origin traced to around 3000 BCE with early settlements near the Gihon spring. Egyptian texts from 2000 BCE refer to the city as Rusalimum. By the 17th century BCE under the Canaanite rule Jerusalem had developed into a fortified city.

During the later Bronze Age it became a vassal of ancient Egypt as documented in the Amarna letters. The city gained prominence during the Israelite period when King David captured it around 1000 BCE. He established it as the capital of the United Kingdom of Israel. His son king Solomon built the first temple cementing Jerusalem’s status as a religious centre. After the Kingdom split Jerusalem remained the capital of Judah until the neo Babylonian empire conquered it in 586 BCE destroying the First temple and exiling the Jewish population.

Following Persia’s conquest of Babylon in 539 BCE, Cyrus the Great permitted the Jews to return and rebuild the city which marked the start of the second temple. Hellenistic rule began after Alexander the Great's conquest in 1332 BCE introducing Greek cultural influence. The Hasmonean revolt in 164 BCE briefly restored Jewish sovereignty with Jerusalem as the capital of an independent state.

In 63 BCE Roman forces under Pompey took control and Herod the Great later expanded the second temple. This made it one of the ancient world’s grandest structures. Tensions with Rome led to the first Jewish revolt culminating in Jerusalem’s siege and temple destruction in 70-CE.

Under the Byzantine rule Jerusalem became a major Christian pilgrimage site especially after Constantine the Great Commissioned the Church of Holy Sepulchre. In 638-CE Rashidun caliphate captured the city and early Islamic rulers constructed the Dome of rock and Al-Aqsa mosque reinforcing its significance in Islam.

During the crusade Jerusalem changed hands multiple times falling to crusaders in 1099 and being retaken by Saladin in 1187. It remained under Islamic control through the Ayyubid and Mamluk period before becoming part of the Ottoman Empire in 1517. In modern times the 1948 Arab Israeli war resulted in Jerusalem division between Israel West and Jordan East. Israel captured East Jerusalem during the six day war in 1967 unifying the city under its control.

From 1923 to 1948 Jerusalem served as the administrative capital of British mandatory Palestine. After Israel’s establishment in 1948 West Jerusalem became its capital though its status lacked international recognition due to UN resolution 194 which envisioned Jerusalem as the international city. Following the 1967 war Israel extended its jurisdiction over East Jerusalem but allowed Jordan to manage the temple mount's Islamic site.

The Oslo accord deferred Jerusalem’s final status to future negotiation and prohibited official Palestine activities in the city until a peace agreement. The Palestinian Authority claims East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, a stance reiterated by President Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assert that Jerusalem will remain Israel’s undivided capital. Some proposals suggest Abu Dis, a Palestinian suburb, as an alternative Palestinian capital, giving in its proximity to Jerusalem.

The international community largely considers East Jerusalem part of the occupied Palestinian territories. The UN’s 1947 partition plan designated Jerusalem as a corpus separatum under international administration, a status still referenced in diplomatic discussions. Most countries do not recognize Israeli sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem, maintaining embassies in Tel Aviv instead.

In 1980 Israel passed the Jerusalem law declaring the city its complete and united capital. The UN Security Council condemned this move in resolution 478 and urged the member state to withdraw diplomatic missions from Jerusalem. Most of the countries compiled though a few including the US later relocated their embassies to Jerusalem.

Since 1950 all branches of the Israel government legislative, judicial and executive have operated from Jerusalem except the defence ministry which remains in Tel Aviv. In 2017, the US recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved its embassy there in 2018. It was a decision that was met with widespread criticism. Russia and Australia have partially acknowledged West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital pending a two- state solution, though Australia reversed its stance in 2022.

Culture

The cultural Jerusalem is a rich mosaic shaved by millennia of spiritual devotion, political upheaval and artistic expression. It is a city where sacred chants echoed through ancient alleyways and centuries old traditions coexist with contemporary Creativity.

At its heart Jerusalem is a sacred city of Judaism Christianity and Islam. This spiritual centrality has fostered a culture steeped and ritual pilgrimage and storytelling. The old city divided into Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian quarters reflects this heritage through its architecture, language and daily rhythms.

Art and literature in Jerusalem often carry a deep sense of place. Arab and Palestinian artists have long used the city as a symbol of resilience and holiness. The Jewish artists have explored themes of exile, return and memory. The city’s cultural life includes everything from traditional calligraphy and embroidery to avant-garde theater and contemporary galleries.

Cuisine is another vibrant thread. The food culture of Jerusalem blends Levantine, North African Eastern Europe and Mediterranean influences. Traditional dress and games also reflect the diverse roots of Jerusalem. The Jerusalemite thoub, a richly embroidered Palestinian dress carries historical and religious significance. Games like sword and the shield once played during the autumn time still echo in the cultural memory. The culture of Jerusalem is not just a relic of the past it is a living breathing dialogue between history and present. The city continues to exist as a place of shared spaces and overlapping narratives.

Language

Multiple languages are spoken in Jerusalem. The two most widely spoken languages are Hebrew and Arabic. Hebrew is the primary language spoken and is used in public institutions, education and media. Arabic on the other hand holds a special status and is widely spoken in East Jerusalem and among the Palestinian communities.

English is also frequently used nowadays. The language finds its usage in tourism, academia, and international diplomacy. Apart from this Russian is also spoken by many immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Yiddish can also be heard in ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods.

Geography

Jerusalem is located on the Judaean mountain perched at about 754 metres above sea level. This elevated position gives it a sweeping view in all directions towards the Dead Sea and the Jordanian highland to the east and the Mediterranean coastal plain to the West.

The city is built on a series of hills and valleys. The mount of olives, Mount Zion and mount Moriah are among its most iconic high points. The ridges are separated by deep valleys like the Kidron valley, Hinnom valley and the Tyropoeon valley which have shaped both the physical and the symbolic contours of the city.

At the heart of Jerusalem lies the old city. It is a compact walled area less than one square kilometre in size yet dense with religious and historical significance. Modern urban sprawl surrounds it and extends into both Israeli and Palestinian jurisdiction. This makes Jerusalem the largest municipality in the region.

The climate of the region is subtropical and semi-arid with hot dry summers and cool rainy winters. Snow is rare but not unheard of and the city occasionally experiences the sharav, a hot desert wind that sweeps in during spring and autumn.

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