Jerusalem is a city that has been torn down and rebuilt a dozen times.  With the exception of the Temple Mount, most of Jerusalem’s original site is hidden beneath the debris of years of violence and destruction.  The original City of David actually rests to the south of Jerusalem proper, almost directly south of the Dung Gate.  Some believe that the true Tomb of King David is actually buried beneath the sands, hidden under tons of dirt and debris.

The finest homes in Jerusalem are found near the eastern half of the city, up to the Temple Mount, and from there the dwellings of the wealthy and powerful veer north until they reach Herod’s Gate.   In stark contrast to this elegance and wealth, the western side of the city demonstrates deep poverty.  There are many buildings that remain empty of all but the most desperate souls, dwellings that have not been repaired or rebuilt in generations. 

Before the siege, segregation of neighborhoods by religion was a fact of life in Jerusalem.  Though the division between wealthy and poor is fairly obvious, the territories of the devout were not as clearly marked.  However, politically speaking, the city was broken into three separate areas: the Jewish Sector, which ran along the southern section of the city; the Christian Sector, which ran throughout the northwestern part of the city and along the western wall, and the Muslim Sector, which covered the eastern portion of Jerusalem.   These boundaries were never drawn on maps, but were very real nonetheless. 

There are several landmarks of import to Jerusalem that have stood countless wars.  There is, for example, the Tower of David (also called the Citadel), that was either built by David to oversee and protect the city, or built much later and named in his honor for the same purpose.    The tower has known blood and grief for centuries, and many believe it remembers every injustice. 

There is also the Temple Mount, which has been a place of power, in one form or another, since 1004 BCE.  It was the site of King David’s palace and once held the Art of the Covenant.  Later, Solomon built his great Temple on the site, along with a larger palace.   Now, the Mount contains some of the most important religious sites in the HolyCity. The Dome of the Rock itself is one of only three mosques to which Muslims may make a pilgrimage.  It sits on the northeast side of the Temple Mount, north of the al-Aqsa Mosque.  The dome rises over 105 feet and stretches 60 feet wide over the Noble Rock, the stone from which the Prophet ascended into Heaven.  The Wailing Wall is the single remaining piece of the Temple, and as such is of profound importance to those who follow the Jewish faith.  The wall stands 66.5 feet in height and just over 90 feet in length, and is part of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount. 

For Christians in Jerusalem, there is the Way of Sarrows, which is believed to be the route that Jesus Christ took through Jerusalem on his way from the praetorium to the place of his crucifixation at Calvary.  It culminates in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which has been destroyed and rebuilt many times over.  Its latest incarnation is by far the largest and most elaborate structure of them all, and comes close to rivaling the Temple Mount in both scope and grandeur. 

Before the siege, the wall surrounding Jerusalem was considered strong enough to resist any invasion or assault.  Obviously, the wall did not hold, and currently there are entire sections of it that are in tatters.  However, it is still an impressive site: surrounding the entire city, towering forty feet above the ground, and wide enough to hold several people walking side by side.

As with any walled city, Jerusalem possess gates that separate the city from the world beyond.  To the west is the Damascus Gate, the largest and perhaps the most significant of the entrances and one of the main trade routes into the city.  Further east is Herold’s Gate, which in previous times was heavily defended, as the families who lived in the area were among the wealthiest and most powerful in Jerusalem.  On the eastern wall, the Lion’s Gate is the main point of entrance, and used to be much more open then the Golden Gate to the south.  On the southern wall there are two more gates: the Gung Gate to the east and the Zion gate to the west.  These gates are more accessible than most, as both lead to the ruins of old Jerusalem.  One final gate is present on the western wall: the Jaffa Gate.