Jerusalem as a Sacred Place

(January 6)

In this lecture we learned about Jerusalem being a sacred space. We defined that a place can be sacred in two ways: something significant occurs and/or an important person is born. In addition, shrines are built here for people to visit and make pilgrimages.
Next we discussed Jerusalem's physical features. This city was built on a hill with no major trade routes that go through nor a major water source near by. The only real water source is the Gihon Spring. It also is surrounded by valleys except to the north. The geography of Jerusalem does not indicate it as being a great city yet it is still a central city for three main faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). The possible reason for this is Jerusalem's acknowledgment as a sacred place.
In addition to Jerusalem's features, this city is divided into 4 quarters. To the northwest is the Christian quarter, to the northeast is the Islamic quarter, to the southeast is the Judaean quarter, and to the southwest is the Armenian quarter. The Temple Mount located at the eastern side of Jerusalem can be counted as the fifth quarter as well. One of the oldest spot of the temple and one of the holiest site in Jerusalem is the Western Wall. The Western Wall is not the western wall of the temple, however, but of the Temple Mount.
In this lecture, we also learned about axis mundi. It is defined as being in the center of the world and connects heaven to earth. Although it is depicted as being "the center of the world," there are multiple locations marked as being an axis mundi.