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Western Wall

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is believed to be the last remaining wall of the Second Temple. This is a holy site for Jews, and many of them are often seen praying in the area.

A visit to the site starts by going through a metal detector, and putting your bags through a metal detector. When we visited, there was no wait at all. The wall is divided into two parts - a part for women, and a larger section for men. I heard a rumor that men are permitted to pray anywhere along the wall, but I didn't see any men on the women's part, so I'm not sure if that's legitimate or not.

As a visitor to the wall, expect to be bothered by religious people who ask you to put on their religious clothing and pray at the wall. Even if you're not Jewish, they still try to talk to you and get you to pray with them. These people speak both English and Hebrew, and a polite "No Thank You" will probably be answered by "But it's a Mitzvah!". Telling them firmly that you're not interested will get them to move on to someone else.

The wall itself is approximately 50m long. There are chairs for people to sit in and pray, and many of the cracks in the wall are full of pieces of paper. If you write your wish on a piece of paper and stick it in the wall, rumor has it that your wish will come true.

The area outside the wall (but through security) also houses the entrance to the Western Wall Tunnels attraction. If you have made prior reservations, you can go for a walk along the excavated sections of the wall.

Dress

The rules for men are different than women - men are supposed to cover their heads, but shorts and a t-shirt is fine, otherwise. Women are supposed to cover their heads if they're married, and modest dress (a skirt) is suggested for all women. Women should also not have exposed shoulders or upper arms.

Cost

The wall is a free attraction.

Estimated Visiting Time

There isn't much to see or do at the wall - visitors can go up to it and look around, or write a prayer note, but the visit will probably not take more than 15-20 minutes.