The Old City Today

The Old City Of Jerusalem Today (64k)

The walls surrounding the Old City encompass an area of barely a third of a square mile (1 sq. km.). These walls were built by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in the sixteenth century, roughly following the course of the walls built by the Romans to encircle Jerusalem in the second Century. Eight gates are built into the city's walls. Seven are open and one remains sealed. The Romans, who rebuilt Jerusalem after they razed the city during their war against the Jews, constructed two main thoroughfares, north-south and east-west, thus forming four sections today; Jewish, Moslem, Christian and Armenian quarters of the old city.

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This ASTER sub-image was acquired on April 3, 2000 and covers an area of 10.5 x 12 km centered on Jerusalem. The data were processed to create a simulated natural color image, with green vegetation and orange tile roofs. The old city is the lighter blue area in the right center of the image, surrounded by a 400-year-old wall built by the Ottoman Turks. Easily visible are the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa Mosque on the eastern side of the old city. Jerusalem is the source of three major religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - and is considered holy by all three.

http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/gallery.htm?name=Jerusalem